


Her Broken Promise

by Gabbelina



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games), Super Mario Odyssey (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Comedy, Conspiracy, Death, Declarations Of Love, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Family Loss, First Fandom EVER, Fluff, Hidden Video Game References, Hurt/Comfort, Making Out, One Bad Pun, Peach isn't as useless, Romance, Self-Esteem Issues, Threats of Violence, Verbal Abuse, backstabbing, consistent updates, hinted sex, messed up characters, music references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:53:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 43
Words: 100,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14348349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabbelina/pseuds/Gabbelina
Summary: Bowser could kidnap Peach as much as he wanted but Mario was the one she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with. Her mind was made up and her future was set... until she made a terrible decision.Death, hate, conspiracy, magic, love, and tragedy crash the party. Will Bowser find a place in all of this madness?Or will he finally give up once and for all?





	1. A Normal Day

Bowser snored in the library at the top of the castle. It was unusual to have a library there, but he preferred Peach to be on the top floor so it took Mario longer to get to her. Yes, he knew Mario would break in and ' _save the day_ ', but only because Bowser allowed it. After his third time kidnapping the princess, he realized Peach was much more laid back when she was confident in her 'hero'. She would even allow Bowser to nap in the same room while she busied herself with boring things like reading books and baking.

It's true that Bowser would end up watching her leave, but he could always easily get her back again. The mushroom guards of the castle don't exactly do much more than worry. They still hadn't made any changes to enhance the defense of their princess. Bowser had even heard that her father had stopped fretting over her safety after the 5th kidnapping. And this was the 30th time Bowser had taken her!

Speaking of which…

"Alright, Princess!" Bowser got up from his chair with a yawn and started walking to the kitchen for a pre-battle snack. According to his watch, Mario would make it to the castle in fifteen minutes or so. "I'll be sure to send a Koopa with your luggage once Mario picks you up."

Peach looked up and shook her head. "Bowser, I can carry my own luggage. I know Mario would help me too. Even better, Kamek or Kammy can transport them straight to the Mushroom Kingdom. Isn't that what you usually do?"

"Yes…" he mused, trying to hide a mischievous smile. "But a certain Koopa just loves your STYLE so much that I thought I might do him a favor and let him carry it."

Peach gave a small exasperated sigh, "You can't make him carry ALL of my things just because of his comment at dinner. I wouldn't have remembered he had said anything if you hadn't kept bringing it up."

A small grin began to grow on Bowser's face as he thought back to last evening's dinner when that wimpy little servant Koopa walked in with a tray of Peach's favorite pudding.

Bowser scoffed, "I can do whatever I want because I am king! As King, it is my duty to remember the offenses of others and justly punish the offenders… Besides, that measly little tramp was obviously far too entranced by your beauty." Bowser snorted and proceeded to imitate the young Koopa in an exaggerated high-pitched voice, "Oh, Peeeeeaaaach! Dare I say, that STYLE of dress looks soooooooo good on you. Gwa ha ha!"

"Are you saying I didn't look good in that dress? I heard you picked it out yourself, your Classiness," Peach goaded, folding her arms with a smug look on her face.

"You looked good in that dress  _because_  I chose it! I know you better than anyone so of course I would know what you look best in," he stated, his voice dripping with pride.

Peach sputtered, "That's not true! You don't know me better than… Toadsworth. He is with me every day from morning to night doing what I ask and acting as my supervisor."

"Does Mr. Poopdot know that you hide money in your bra when you're traveling so you can secretly buy sweets when he isn't looking?" Bowser asked bluntly.

"I… I'm sure he has figured it out by now. And his name is Toadsworth," Peach corrected him, embarrassment lightly showing on her cheeks.

Bowser scoffed but continued, "How about the fact that you put Pomegranate and Lime dish soap in your rubber ducky because the smell reminds you of your childhood?"

" _Only Daisy knows that,"_  thought Peach, eyes wide. "How do you know…?"

"Oh please. My heightened sense of smell and attention to detail made that easy to figure out," he answered, his tone slightly cautious. The princess glared at him until he began to shuffle his feet guiltily. "Okay… I might have stumbled on that conversation by accident…"

"Bowser! My personal phone calls are strictly off limits!" she cried in frustration.

"Yes! Yes! I know! And they are  _completely_  off limits! But… I wanted to kidnap you that weekend and you just happened to be using the castle landline instead of your.. personal.. phone..." Bowser trailed off as she tapped her foot expectantly. He knew he should have picked a different example. Sighing in defeat, he dragged his feet as he walked to her side.

Peach stood firmly in front of the Koopa King. She stuck out her adorable pinky and he touched his own to hers. "Pinky promise that you won't listen to or read any of my personal calls regardless of what phone or mode of communication I use," Peach stated. Bowser hesitated and looked at her with a pout. Peach stayed unmoved by his silent plea and only tapped her pinky on his impatiently.

"Fine. I promise to…"

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

Bowser's solemn head snapped up as the castle alarm went off and, with a secret sigh of relief, took off running for the 'Final Boss' chamber.

"Bowser! You can't just run off in the middle of making a promise!" Peach yelled after him.

"Sorry, Peachy! I'll be sure to send you a letter of apology and have Mr. Henry STYLES bring it straight to your castle with the rest of your belongings! GWA HA HA H…" Bowser shut the Final Boss door and he was gone leaving the princess with very unladylike thoughts.

Peach balled her hands into fists and tensed her shoulders as she held her breath and counted to 10. "My hero will be here soon to take me back home so there is no reason to let someone like Bowser get to me." She relaxed her shoulders, let out a long breath, and sat down on her chair to wait patiently.

.

Bowser laughed as he waited in the Final Boss Room. The last time he let Mario leave his castle, Bowser had to hire a whole group of demolition Koopas because Mario messed with their sewer pipes. In other words, the entire castle was filled with sewage and they were forced to tear the whole building down and start from scratch.

"No matter what we did, every block - every board - continually smelled like shit. Stupid plumber… I would almost say he is becoming as evil as me. However, the keeper of Hell is crippled with fright when he sees me. Mario only makes him sneeze," Bowser laughed evilly. "Oh yes… I will get him back this time."

.

**15 minutes later**

When Mario finally opened the door to the library, Peach was shocked to see him drenched in brown sludge that smelled like… a highly un-princess-like word.

But if it were to be described by Bowser, 'shit'. He smelled like 'shit'. (Gwa ha!)

**Mushroom Kingdom**

Peach sat at the head of the table once again as the banquet ensued. Bowser had been thwarted, Mario was being praised to high heaven, and the beloved princess was brought back to her kingdom safe and sound. Celebrities, royalty, and many important people had all come to take part in the 'Welcome Home' party and the news reporters swarmed outside the castle to speak with each person that arrived.

The first few times Peach had been kidnapped, the celebration was filled with everyone from all over her kingdom. Now, the party for Peach's homecoming had begun to be more of a celebrity Super Bowl party. The only difference was everyone already knew who was going to win and the trophy, instead of sterling silver, was pink with blonde hair. Artists and designers had even filled the main hall and outer walls of the castle with 'winning team' decorations. Banners of pink and red were everywhere; paintings of courageous Mario, beautiful Peach, and evil Bowser's defeated figure took up all of the space on every wall; the Kingdom's anthem was played triumphantly and the mushroom flag was hoisted proudly as the guests all came dressed in their finest attire.

Yes, Peach would agree that her people went a little overboard with some things, but she was happy to be away from Bowser. She was happy to be home.

**Dark Lands**

Bowser's homecoming was more of a 'Welcome Back to Work' party. A team of Koopas was already creating schematics for the next set of castle traps that would be strong yet affordable. Another team was getting ready to make a trip to the Dark Land Lakes where they would catch more man-eating fish for the next Underwater Level. The whole castle was buzzing with preparations until Bowser stepped into the room and called for their attention.

"Drain the lava rooms, renovate all levels into offices, and take down every trap inside the castle!" Bowser ordered. He looked ready to burst with anger. "No more."

 


	2. The Schedule

**6 months later**

The weather was finally starting to grow warmer and spring flowers were blooming. Summer was so close Peach could almost taste it. She was practically boiling over with excitement as she thought about her plans to have a weeklong vacation in Sarasaland with Daisy and the Mario Brothers. Just one more month of torture and she could see Mario again!

*knock knock*

"Good morning, Princess Toadstool! I have very important news for you!" Toadsworth exclaimed as Peach opened the door to greet him. The old Toad's mustache was a little disheveled and he twisted his cane in his hands nervously. He looked absolutely flustered per usual. "The Mushroom King, long may he live, has locked himself in the north side of the castle and refuses to come out or receive his morning tea!"

"How peculiar," Peach answered thoughtfully. "What brought him to do such a thing?"

"I'm afraid it may have been my fault. As you know, I knock on his door at 6:30 a.m. sharp every morning to give the King his schedule. This morning, I was a minute and a half late when I finally handed him his schedule and he became infuriated with me. He even went so far as to declare that I had lost my mind!" Toadsworth fretted. "Whatever shall we do? The first meeting of the day is scheduled to start at 7:30 and it's already 7! Oh my, the royal council will be so upset with me."

Peach smiled kindly, "Don't worry, Toadsworth. I am sure my father wouldn't isolate himself just because you were a little late. As for the meeting, I will take over for him if he insists on staying in his room."

"Oh Princess, you are a gem! Here!" Toadsworth praised, pulling the Mushroom King's schedule out of his pocket. "All of the information you need for the meetings is written on the back of the page. I will also bring you a binder with notepaper in case you need to take notes."

The princess scanned the schedule briefly and her eyes widened. "Toadsworth, I don't know if…" she began to say, but he cut her off.

"This will be such wonderful practice for when you marry and become queen. I know you aren't overly fond of the idea of getting married before you turn twenty-five, but who knows? Maybe Mario will propose before then! What a lovely queen you will make…" Toadsworth prattled on happily.

Peach only shook her head and gave a small sigh. No wonder her father had locked himself away. Every hour of the day, including breakfast and lunch, had been filled with 'safety' meetings, 'charity' meetings, 'dignitary' meetings, 'chain chomp rescue' meetings, 'Koopas for change' meetings, 'Toads for no change' meetings, and so many other meetings that were impossible to take care of in the time allotted or just plain unnecessary to have at all. Ever.

"I need kidnapped…" Peach whispered to herself.

"What?! Kidnapped?" Toadsworth jumped with fright.

"No! I… said I need a kid nap! A nap that kids get… You know? A short nap in the middle of the day to keep myself sharp!" Peach quickly answered him, trying to cover up what she had said.

Toadsworth, still a little flustered, said, "Oh. You scared me, ole gal. I thought you said… Well, it doesn't matter. I know you, of all people, understand that Bowser is dangerous and crazier than a frog with a caffeine addiction," he mumbled mostly to himself. After a short pause, Toasdworth came back to reality with a smile, "Ah, about that nap! There should be time both here and here!" He took a pencil and wrote a star beside both times he thought best and then nodded his head to Peach in satisfaction.

"Thank you, Toadsworth," she said, feigning a smile. Satisfied with her approval, Toadsworth left her to dress and prepare for the day he had painstakingly put together. When he was out of sight she shut the door with a huff. "Three meetings every hour and he chooses for me to take a nap between the longest meetings of the day? This is ridiculous…"

It only went downhill from there.

Once the day was only half over, Toadsworth informed Peach that the Mushroom King had decided to take the entire week off.

"Because you have done such a wonderful job, the council agrees it would be best if you continue to take charge and act in the King's place while he is resting," Toadsworth stated proudly. Peach withheld a groan and thanked him with practiced kindness.

This was the last thing she needed. She had already endured six months of endless work even when her father wasn't avoiding his duties. Now she had gone and made things much worse by volunteering to take care of the whole of it.

That night, Peach lay on her bed inspecting the ends of her hair.

"Isn't it sad that my last break was when a deranged fire-breathing lizard stuffed me in a clown car and locked me in the library? He even gave me a key to the lock!" Peach chuckled with some hysteria as she rubbed her temples in frustration. She hadn't even been able to see Mario at all since the last time he had saved her.

 _"I wonder if Mario misses me?"_  Peach thought to herself as she stuck out her hand to turn off the lamp sitting on her nightstand. She paused for a moment and took a second glance out her bedroom window. Peach could have sworn she had seen a shadow move outside.

On second thought, probably not.

. .

The next day was every bit as grueling as the last. Meeting after meeting proceeded until the clock finally chimed 9 p.m. The princess was finally free. According to the schedule, Peach was supposed to be done by 4:30pm but everyone, except Toadsworth, knew each meeting would exceed the amount of time planned.

As soon as she had the opportunity, Peach ran (gracefully) back to her room and shut the door before Toadsworth was done giving his farewells to the foreign dignitaries. This did not, however, stop him from knocking on her door, seeking to have his own personal meeting with her. Despite feeling slightly dishonest, Peach innocently turned on the water in the bathroom tub so she had an excuse not to open the door. He would have to save his problems and questions for the next day.

The headache that pounded in Peach's head eased little by little as she laid in her hot water bath. While she relaxed, she spotted a crystal bowl full of chocolate truffles sitting on the edge of her bathtub. Toadette, the pink-capped Toad, must have left them for the princess. " _What a thoughtful girl. I will have to thank her later,"_  thought Peach as she popped one of the chocolates into her mouth.

"Could you save one of those for me?"

Peach fearfully flung the truffle that was in her hand in the direction the mysterious voice had come from.

"Oh, why thank you," the shadow in the corner of Peach's bathroom said with amusement as the truffle landed directly into its clawed hand. "It was more of a suggestion rather than an immediate order, but it's very thoughtful of you none the less."


	3. Purple Robed Meddler

"Who are you? And why are you here?" Peach asked with a slight shake in her voice. She was used to having unexpected visitors pop in every now and then, but never when she was in the bathroom. Even if they had come while she was in the bathroom they would have waited outside until she was decent. It was common courtesy.

"My name is Kamella Koopa, a Magikoopa from the Dark Lands, and I have a proposition for you," said the purple-robed shadow.

"A Magikoopa?" Peach sighed crossly. "Bowser and his schemes can wait. Can you at least come back when I am out of the bath?" Kamella shook her head and stepped forward into the light.

"Though this visit may have something to do with the Koopa King, I assure you, I am not here to do his bidding. I have urgent business that needs to be discussed immediately," Kamella urged strongly, her round glasses glinting in the light as she walked out of the shadows.

Peach looked around for a towel as the Magikoopa spoke, but the closest one could only be reached if she got out of the water. "Fine. I'm all ears if you hand me that towel," Peach answered, pointing towards the fluffy pink towel hanging on the wall. Kamella shrugged and with a flick of her wand the towel was in Peach's hand. To Peach's vexation and Kamella's secret amusement, half of it ended up landing in the water.

As Peach squeezed the water out of the towel and tied it around herself, Kamella decided to cut to the chase.

"Are you in love with Bowser?" she asked bluntly.

"What?" Peach asked, completely stunned. "How could I…? No! No, I am not and will never be. I have told Bowser  _countless_  times that I am not legally married to him and there is nothing between us despite his infatuation with..."

"Will you create a Magical Contract with me that you will never fall in love with him?" Kamella asked, cutting the princess off impatiently.

Peach was silent as she stepped out of the tub clumsily and looked at the Magikoopa with confusion. She thought for a moment in silence. This was only getting more confusing.

Kamella began to pace the tiled floor and study Peach's face closer, "So you either are in love with him, have interest in him, or are uncertain whether or not you could ever have feelings for him? As part of the Investors, I am not pleased."

"The Investors?" Peach asked, ignoring Kamella's assertions. The Magikoopa was trying to rush her and keep her off balance in order to prevent Peach from taking control of the conversation.

"The League of Investors is a group of leaders who are invested in the prosperous future for both the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands and see Bowser's interest in you as a threat to that future," Kamella stated simply.

"I am unaware of such a group... but you can be assured that I do not plan to have any romantic relations with Bowser in the near or even far future," Peach replied shortly.

Kamella shook her head with a smirk, "You see, that isn't good enough. Bowser and his love for you are a threat to what our society has worked for and we plan to deal with this threat personally if you do not give us complete assurance."

Peach hated to say anything positive about King Bowser, but this statement seemed rather ridiculous. "Deal with what threat? I don't exactly have the best opinion of him, as you can imagine, but Bowser hasn't had a negative impact on the Mushroom Kingdom in years. If anything, he has been on agreeable terms with our kingdom since the kidnappings have been dealt with," Peach argued.

" _Your_  kidnappings," Kamella corrected her. "Mario may deal with them well but just because you have escaped Bowser's clutches thus far doesn't mean that it will continue to happen. Princess, Bowser will keep coming for you so long as he has even a minute chance of earning your affections."

Peach bit back her rising frustration. "I am well aware of that. However, that doesn't mean you or the Investors have any power over my future decisions or my personal life just because nothing can be done about his. Especially, when your 'League' chooses not to meet with me in a civil manner over their personal disagreements."

"I understand your mistrust for our group, but actions will be taken against Bowser if you don't set the future in stone," said Kamella. Before Peach could ask for clarification, Kamella continued, "The reason why I volunteered to ask this of you is that I am a citizen of the Dark Lands. Bowser is my king, but he is sure you will reciprocate his feelings eventually. He throws away money on castles and armies to impress you and constantly loses to a one-man army, ruining the feared Dark Land reputation.

"You are also not the best influence on him. In the eyes of the Dark Lands, you are far too weak and your leadership is hardly inspiring. Bowser's kingdom wants and needs a strong and brazen Koopa King, which will never happen if there is even a minuscule chance of you caring for Bowser in return. Additionally, you are the only heir to the Mushroom Kingdom throne. Your life has been at risk continually since Bowser started kidnapping you. That is not to say that he would intentionally hurt you, but accidents happen and have occurred in the past. The scar on your right shoulder is proof of that," Kamella explained intently.

Peach inadvertently lifted her left hand to wrap her fingers around her right arm. She had received an almost fatal injury a few years ago when she had gotten lost in Bowser's Castle and unwittingly opened a trap door. Luckily, Mario had been in the area when he heard the booby trap go off. That had been the only time Bowser allowed Mario to leave without a Final Boss Battle. The Koopa King had felt so bad that he couldn't pluck up enough courage to kidnap Peach until two years after the incident.

Kamella continued, "The League of Investors recognizes that any connection between you and Bowser would spell disaster for the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands. Don't you see? Keeping both of your lives separate from each other is the only way to keep both kingdoms stable and their futures bright… Either that or Bowser has to die."

Peach balked. "Die? So killing the King of the Dark Lands will save the face of your Kingdom and solve all of my problems? That's outrageous! Also, why would I, the victim, ever form an intimate relationship with my kidnapper?" Peach asked angrily.

"Bowser has an heir to the throne. Everyone is replaceable, especially if the replacement is young enough to mold. As for your last question, you used to hate Bowser, but time with him has made you soft enough to defend him," Kamella reasoned. Furious disgust formed on Peach's face as the Magikoopa spoke. "Honestly, I hope you are soft enough to save his life."

"That is enough," Peach stated, crossing her arms as she stared at the Magikoopa indignantly. "Your intentions have been made clear. I think it is best for you to leave."

"I agree. Expect me at the same time tomorrow. We will be awaiting your decision," said Kamella and with a wave of her wand, she was gone.

 _"By losing a portion of my freedom, another gains the right to live? That would be a terrible decision indeed,"_ Peach thought sourly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you are wondering, I have this whole work written out already so I will be updating spontaneously. Be sure to check a least once a week for more! Also, thank you so much for reading! I hope you will enjoy this as much as I have.
> 
> Side note:  
> There might be times when I suggest a song for specific moments to make the story more immersive. I made a Playlist in Apple Music that holds all of the music that I am using for this fanfic! The link can be found on my Profile page. (There are also other songs there that I think fit the mood of the story)
> 
> If you have any questions or comments leave a review! And don't be afraid to suggest music of your own! I love hearing from my readers. :3 :3


	4. The Attack

It is safe to say the Princess hardly slept at all that night. When she did fall asleep, her dreams were restless, and her thoughts raced from one terrible scenario to another. What would Mario do in this situation?

 _"I don't know why I am even worrying about this. There is no reason to believe that this 'League' has the power to even scratch Bowser, let alone kill him. AND I had never heard of them before until that Magikoopa showed up. Besides, why worry when Bowser can obviously take care of himself?"_  Peach thought to herself, trying to calm her nerves. But something felt off about Kamella. If Peach remembered right, Kamella was the name of one of Bowser's royal councilors, which meant that she worked closely with the Koopa King. Was this apart of one of his plans?

 _"No. Bowser is far too forward to plan something like this and he has about as much patience as a toddler. But that also means that Kamella is doing this without his knowledge. He would be furious if he knew…"_  Peach continued thinking. It also meant that Kamella might actually have a shot at hurting him. Peach may not like Bowser and the way that he did things, but he was still mortal and extremely overconfident in himself. Even Mario and Luigi weren't invincible.

. . . .

By morning, the Princess still couldn't move past her worries. Toadsworth's schedule was observed, her meetings were as long as usual, and she drowned herself in her work, but most of it went by in a blur. She had absolutely no ability to focus on anything other than what the Magikoopa had said.

 _"Keeping both of your lives separate from each other is the only way to keep both kingdoms stable and their futures bright… Either that or Bowser has to die,"_ Kamella had stated.

Peach had never thought about falling in love with Bowser. Mario - of course - but Bowser? She had never entertained the idea and still didn't. But her mother had taught her not to make promises that would restrict her ability to act on her heart. Peach made small guarantees, childish pinky promises and occasional oaths that came with being a ruler, but this was a chain over her heart that she didn't always have control over.

Despite all of this, it was against the princess' nature to let something like this go.

" _I need to think of something and think of it soon before…"_  Peach thought anxiously.

*ding! ding!*

"9 o'clock already?! I sure am sorry for allowing your meetings get so out of hand, Princess Peach. It is your duty to take care of the Mushroom Kingdom, but it is also my duty to make sure that the schedule is… Peach?" Toadsworth was completely unheard as the princess stood from her chair at the meeting table and made her way to her bedroom, leaving her adviser alone with his thoughts.

Peach had a plan, but she had to hurry. _"I have about thirty minutes,"_  she said to herself as she raced into her room and grabbed a pencil and paper from her bedside drawer.

She wrote:

_Mario,_

_A Magikoopa named Kamella is going to try to kill_ _Bowser_ _. I know this is sudden and it doesn't make sense, but I need you to_ _ make sure he is protected _ _. I will explain later._

_Yours,_

_Princess Peach_

She took the letter and put it down the mail-shoot. As luck would have it, Parakarry would be taking the mail within the next few minutes. That would give plenty of time for the letter to make it to Mario without suspicion or even a chance of being intercepted.

Just as Peach had begun filling the bathtub with water, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the corner of her bathroom.

"Princess, I assume you have made your decision?" Kamella asked cooly.

Pointedly staring at her reflection in the water, Peach answered, "I have."

Kamella, impatient as she was, clicked her claws together with anticipation. After a few moments of awkward silence, she asked with forced politeness, "Well, your Highness? What is your decision?"

"No," Peach answered plainly. She could hear the Magikoopa's robes shake with frustration but before Kamella could say anything, Peach continued, "This is my Kingdom, my life, my world, and my home. I will run my Kingdom the way I see fit because I have no reason to believe anyone else's ideas or beliefs are better than my own. I cannot take your threat seriously because you have given me no proof that your problems are my problems or that your opinion should be mine. I must also warn you not to take action against King Bowser or you will have more than one Kingdom to worry about." Kamella moved to argue, but Peach held up her hand and glared at Kamella with authority. "You may go. You have your answer."

"You will regret this," seethed the Magikoopa as she angrily stomped her foot on the ground and disappeared with a wave of her wand.  _"The princess_ _wouldn't have made this decision if she didn't have some kind of plan. She was too confident. Either she knows something about the Investors or has a plan to protect Bowser,"_  Kamella thought to herself as she flew through the air on her broom.

Inspiration hit her as she came spotted a short little man dressed in red and blue running in the direction of the Mushroom Castle. " _Yes… I think she needs to be put in her place,"_ Kamella quietly cackled.

. . . .

Peach turned off the water and made her way to her bed. As good as hot water sounded to her aching head, she didn't like the idea of the Magikoopa popping in during her bathing session again. " _Maybe I should go apologize to Toadsworth for rushing out on him earlier. He may be clueless, but he does work hard,"_ Peach contemplated.

***BOOM***

A knee-shattering quake shook the castle from the ground up. Picture frames, glass, and other precious things could be heard shuttering dangerously. Though the first quake had been the biggest, smaller quakes shook the floors of the castle.

Taking a moment to get her balance back, Princess Peach opened her bedroom door and sprinted full speed down the hallways to see what was wrong. Finally making it to the second floor, she came to the main hall at the front of the castle. The front doors of the castle were flung wide open with two figures she could not mistake.

"Mario!" Peach called happily. Hearing his name, he looked back at his princess and gave her his signature smile with a thumbs up.

Kamella swung her wand and screamed, "Pay attention when you're about to die, sludge-eating lowlife!" Green fireballs burst from her wand flying straight for Mario. He was quick enough to dodge the attacks and even reflect some of them back at her. With another wave of the wand and blue sparks, two Magikoopas appeared and attacked Mario with a flurry of spells. One of the spells came too close for comfort and left Mario bleeding from a wound on his cheek, but he fought on without a moment's hesitation.

Peach gripped the railing as she watched from the second floor down into the main hall. " _If he could just create an opening or a distraction he could nab her before she does more damage."_  She knew he could do it, but that last attack against Mario proved it wasn't going to be easy.

As if Mario read her mind, he dodged the flurry of attacks from all three Magikoopas and flung his hat in Kamella's face temporarily blinding her. Taking his chance, he jumped off the ground and pulled his fist back to prep for the final blow, but before his fist could swing forward, she vanished from his sight. Peach screamed Mario's name, but Kamella had already transported behind him, stabbing him in the back.

Shock flashed over Mario's face then his eyes rolled back as he fell and hit the floor.


	5. A Cordial Invitation

Peach covered her mouth in horror and disbelief. Before she knew what she was doing, she ran down the steps and made her way to the middle of the hall where Mario was lying on his face, motionless and bleeding. Despite knowing the Magikoopa was still there, Peach knelt down beside Mario and turned him over onto his back.

 _"Please, Mario. Please. Please be alive."_  Peach opened her mouth to say her thoughts out loud but no sound came out. As she held him, she saw his eyes were still rolled back but open and, though his body was still warm, he wasn't breathing. She put her hand on his neck and felt nothing. He had no pulse and the blood from his back had started to dry. "No. No, you can't die, Mario…" she sobbed quietly, taking him into her arms, weeping as she rocked back and forth.

Kamella smiled deviously as she landed next to the princess and pulled out a pink note from her robes. "I found this in his hands..." Kamella started to say, but Peach screamed at the Magikoopa with rage and sorrow. In that moment, Kamella felt a static blast rush through her body. The note fell from her claw to the floor as she stood completely paralyzed from head to toe. Peach laid Mario's body on the floor and stood, capturing Kamella with a furious unbreakable stare. The room went cold and, though the Magikoopa regained control of her body, she didn't dare move. Peach came to stand directly in front of Kamella and raised her hand to the Magikoopa's throat when a familiar voice came from the back of the hall.

"Peach…?" Toadsworth called in a shaky voice. "Are you there?" Peach's consciousness started to trickle back to her as she looked around. She watched as Toadsworth braved his way into the main hall with a curtain rod clutched in his shaky little hands. She blinked once and then turned around to look back only to find that Kamella was gone. Lowering her eyes, she saw the paper the Magikoopa had dropped into a pool of Mario's blood. Peach's heart stopped and her stomach curled. It was her letter to Mario.

 _"It was my fault,"_ she thought and then her world went black _._

. . . . .

Everything around her was soft but red. Very soft and very red. Why red? She was supposed to be wrapped in pink. But red… red was everywhere and it made her itchy. Even the skin on her arms was red. Why did it feel like the red was crawling on her? She tried to rub some of it off but it wasn't working. Instead, the red was spreading and making its way up her arms, over her shoulders, and onto her neck. The sensation made its way to her face, covering her eyes and nose until it started making its way down her throat.

Peach let out a scream that ripped through the air as she flung her sheets off and dug at the skin on her arms. Her skin was burning!

"Peach!? Peach! I'm sorry! It's okay! It will all be okay! Peach? Can you hear me?" Daisy grabbed Peach's arms to stop her from scratching herself.

"Daisy? Where's Mario!? Is he okay? Why are you here and… why are my sheets soaking wet?" Peach asked, practically pulling Daisy off the chair she had perched herself on.

"Peach, it will all be okay! I got a call about what happened so I came to check on you. Listen, you have been out for almost 5 days! I will explain everything, but I need you to calm down," Daisy said as she brought Peach into a hug. "Also, about your sheets… I may have tried to give you some luke-warm tea, but I didn't do a good job of keeping it in your mouth…"

Peach pushed out of the hug to look at Daisy, "Where is Mario?"

Sadness rose in Daisy's eyes as she opened her mouth to answer, "I'm sorry, Peachy. He… was already gone when they found you."

Daisy and Peach embraced each other and cried. No one knocked and no one intruded, but there was an old Toad pacing outside Princess Peach's door with tears in his eyes.

. . . . .

**1 month later**

There was a soft knock on Peach's balcony door. "I am the princess. I must always be a good host for the people that need my assistance. Having said that, kidnappers don't need assistance," she grumbled sleepily to herself as she looked at the time and then rolled herself back up in her blankets. It was 5 in the morning.

The visitor knocked again with some hesitance. Receiving no reply, the unwelcome guest picked the lock and tiptoed, or attempted to tiptoe, quietly into her bedroom and made his way to Peach's bedside.

"Psst...Princess? I have come to… invite you to my castle," the intruder whispered.

Peach squeezed her eyes shut in quiet exasperation, wondering whether or not she should answer or pretend to sleep. She remained silent.

"Prinnncessss... I havvve commme tooo inviiite youuu tooo myyy caaastleee," the figure whispered louder.

…No reply…

The intruder sucked up as much air as possible and whispered, "PRINCESSSSS… I HAVVVVE COMMME…"

"BOWSER," the princess whispered loudly, interrupting him. Flipping back the bed sheets from her face with a huff, she said, "If you whisper any louder your throat will pop."

"Then it's a good thing you answered," Bowser answered, a chuckle rumbling through his chest. "Ready to go?"

Peach shook her head. "I haven't even answered whether or not I have accepted your invitation."

"Of course you have! And don't worry about packing, I have everything you need at the castle," Bowser whispered proudly. Before she could refuse, Bowser took hold of her waist and pulled her out of bed, sheets and all.

"Bowser let go of me!" Peach whispered loudly in his ear as he draped her over his shoulder. She pounded her fists on his shell, but nothing could be done. He walked to the Clown Kart floating beside her balcony and set her down in the back, tucking her sheets around her gently.

"Why don't you scream, Princess? Don't you want your hero to come and save you sooner rather than later?" Bowser teased with a maniacal cackle as he jumped into the driver's seat.

Peach wrapped herself in her blankets and covered her face. "What's the point? No one is here stop you and you will do as you please regardless," she muttered bitterly.

Bowser chuckled evilly but couldn't shake a small feeling of concern. She always made a fuss, always had a stubborn yet powerful optimism about her. This wasn't like her at all - and he should know!

_"What is wrong, my Princess?"_


	6. Doing the Right Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhh! I am so excited to keep updating this to see your reactions. Also, do you ever get the feeling that characters write themselves? I love it :3

Upon entering the Dark Lands, Bowser had decided something was wrong. Peach hadn't said a word - not  _one_  word to him! She had ignored all of his attempts at conversation and curled herself up in a ball of blankets. Maybe he had done his job too well and intimidated her into submission? No... She is Princess Peach! She is always… Peachy!

When they landed on top of Bowser's massive castle, Bowser gave a small sigh. Peach was still silently wrapped up in her pink bed sheets. Once he stepped out of the Clown Kart, Bowser poked Peach's side. An adorable squeak came from the ticklish princess and Bowser quietly chuckled.

"Peach?" Bowser called gently.

"What is it?" Peach asked, her voice muffled with the blankets she was cocooned in.

"Would you come out of there and have breakfast with me?" Bowser asked, offering his hand.

"Mmph…" she poked her head out of the blankets and answered, "I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry."

Bowser froze and his claw slightly tensed when her head popped out of her blankets. The princess's hair was a fuzzy mess, she had no makeup on, and her eyes were sleepy.

It had to have been the single most adorable thing Bowser had ever seen in his life.

Peach watched his reaction and rubbed her eyes drowsily. Maybe she shouldn't be so ungrateful since he gained nothing from being hospitable. "…Sorry, Bowser. I just don't like eating until I have had morning tea. My stomach doesn't feel good if I eat right after waking up…" she trailed off. Bowser's eyes remained on her face but unfocused. She could tell he wasn't listening.

"Bowser?" Peach asked, getting a little concerned by his unusual silence.

"Huh?" Bowser snapped out of his daze. "Oh yeah. Makes sense," he coughed nervously into his claw.

Mistaking his nervous reaction as a sign of impatience, Peach began to unwrap herself from her soft confinement until Bowser jumped and motioned for her to stop.

"Wait!" he said quickly, "Before you get out, I kindaaaa…"

"Hm?" Peach hummed, looking at him curiously.

"This may be a weird suggestion…well it isn't a suggestion. I guess it is more of a question. There is nothing that I could suggest to you at the moment, but I wanted to ask you something that you can  _totally_  say no to… I would really like it if you said yes but if it makes you uncomfortable then don't feel pressured. You don't have to…" Bowser rambled, his face heating up slightly as he twiddled his thumbs shyly.

 _"Is he acting bashful…?"_  Peach thought to herself quizzically. "What is your… question?"

"Canpishoursheeks?" he mumbled, rocking back and forth on his feet nervously with his eyes pointed towards the ground.

Peach blinked with some confusion. "Would you mind rephrasing that?"

"Can I pinch your cheeks?" Bowser asked again, lifting his head a little more so she could hear him more clearly. Peach didn't know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed.

"Why?" Peach asked warily, slightly hiding her face in the blankets again.

"Because I just  _realllllly_  want to," he answered with childlike impatience and a greedy look in his playful eyes.

Before Peach could answer, she heard yelling and rushed footsteps coming from inside the hanger. Bowser grunted as a bunch of small claws grabbed onto him taking a hold of his tail, horns, arms, and legs. Eagerly, they began fighting for his undivided attention.

"King Dad!" they cried at the top of their lungs. A barrage of questions and statements came from the Koopalings as they hung onto their father, refusing to let go.

"Shut up!" Bowser yelled, shaking like a wet dog to free himself from their grasp. "You can ask one question only and it can't be a stupid one."

Iggy, who had climbed on top of Bowser's head, hung his head down in front of his father's face and asked, "Where did you go? Did you bring anything back for us?"

"Didn't you listen? One question only! Besides, aren't the answers to both of your questions obvious with Princess Peach sitting right there in front of you, idiot?" Bowser pointed to the Clown Kart and all the Koopalings stared at the pile of empty pink bed sheets.

"Where'd she go?"

. . . . . .

Peach blinked and suddenly found herself sitting on a log in a forest. "What the h…"

"Do I really have to explain it or can you figure it out yourself?"

Peach froze. "Kamella," she stated coldly, a bitter taste filling her mouth.

"Princess Peach," Kamella answered back morosely. "Now that we have stated the obvious, let's get back to where we left off." With a wave of her wand, a scroll, and a mechanical pencil materialized out of thin air. Peach only stared at it with a look of contempt on her face.

"Oh, you may be wondering about the pencil. Quills are kind of overdone so I wanted to use something less typical. I wanted to use a regular piece of paper too, but a Magical Contract is only valid if you use the official magical contract paper. Also, whatever you write on the paper stays permanent so don't get any ideas about using the eraser on that pencil," Kamella explained casually and then began to wave the contract in front of Peach, "This is the contract that we, The League of Investors, are asking you to sign so that the prosperous futures of the Mushroom and Dark Land Kingdoms are set in stone. Yadda yadda yadda. Obvious, obvious, obvious… You get what I'm saying."

Peach gritted her teeth _. "How can she make fun of me after ruining my future happiness? Everything I had planned, all of my dreams to become queen with Mario at my side were shattered because of this… bitch! I should hang her for what she has done,"_  she thought angrily to herself. But the princess knew better than to let her emotions cloud her judgment. She had to keep a firm grip on reason and maintain her composure.

Though it was against her wishes, Peach knew she could not let Bowser be taken like Mario. She had a great dislike for Bower and she didn't trust him farther than she could throw him but, despite the kidnappings and his crazy antics, he had always treated her with the utmost respect. Granted, sometimes Bowser would tie her in chains and hang her from the ceiling, but it was only to spur Mario into fighting. Besides, the chains were never tight enough to really restrain her from escaping. She could slip out whenever she wanted. Peach just preferred to let the  _children_  fight while she hung safely in a corner somewhere.

Through all of these years and dangerous adventures, Mario showed no sign of fear or weakness. Even though Peach had a sneaky suspicion that Bowser let him win on purpose, Mario always found a way to beat Bowser and save her. No matter where she was, Mario found her. No matter how long it took, he always made his way back to her. Mario had been an invincible champion… but now he would only be a legend.

Mario's life had been shortened because she had been selfish. She had asked him to take care of something that was her problem, not his. Peach wouldn't make that mistake again. It was her turn to do the right thing.

"Let me read it."

"Atta girl!" Kamella said approvingly as she handed Peach the scroll.


	7. The Mark

The scroll read:

_This is a Magical Contract made between Kamella Koopa, Magikoopa_

_of the Dark Lands and Peach Toadstool, Princess and future Queen of_

_the Mushroom Kingdom._

_By signing this document, Peach Toadstool promises never to fall in_

_love with or have any romantic relations with Bowser Koopa, King_

_of the Dark Lands. So long as Peach Toadstool does not break this_

_contract, Kamella Koopa promises that neither she nor anyone she_

_is affiliated with will harm Bowser Koopa, King of the Dark Lands in_

_any way, shape, or form._

_Once signed, this Magical Contract cannot be made known to any_

_persons other than the original signers._

_Sign here:_

_..._

_..._

_"This whole contract is nothing but a trap. Even worse, she isn't trying to hide her intention to deceive me,"_ Peach thought to herself. "I might as well refuse to sign this contract and leave Bowser to his own devices if I am going to make a promise that I know I can't keep," Peach said, extending the contract back to Kamella expectantly.

"Ha! The contract is perfectly acceptable the way it is! Even a  _rock_  could keep it," Kamella exclaimed, with a dismissive wave of her claw.

"If the rock had no feelings then it might be able to keep this contract but it would still have a chance of breaking the deal. Even an emotionless rock can't control someone else's choices or feelings," Peach argued. "You're asking me to promise not to feel what I can't always control. Also, I have no power over Bowser's conduct. This contract is absolutely unacceptable. I can only make a promise to control my own actions and how I deal with the actions of others."

Kamella groaned and snatched the paper from Peach's hand irritably. "Fine."

Kamella took the mechanical pencil, erased Peach's part of the promise and continued to rewrite the contract. The Magikoopa then looked up from her work and motioned for the princess to take the scroll. Peach only stared at the contract with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought whatever was written on that paper was permanent," Peach said in a low but calm tone.

"Oh! Well, it becomes permanent when you sign it…" Kamella tried, but Peach refused to take the scroll back.

"Fine. This will serve as a sketch of the official contract then," Kamella grumbled. With another wave of her wand, the old paper had vanished and a fresh scroll appeared, accompanied by a ballpoint pen. She took the paper and began copying what she had written from the previous contract. Once satisfied, the old Magikoopa handed it back to Peach. But before letting go of the paper, Kamella added, "Remember, if you break a Magical Contract, you will be tried and punished by the Court of Magical Law. Breaking a Magical Contract could even get you a death sentence depending on the promise that was broken." Peach nodded then pulled the contract from Kamella's claws.

The scroll read:

_This is a Magical Contract made between Kamella Koopa, Magikoopa_

_of the Dark Lands and Peach Toadstool, Princess and future queen of_

_the Mushroom Kingdom._

_By signing this document, Peach Toadstool promises never to act with_

_any romantic intentions for and to evade all avoidable gestures of_

_romantic affection from Bowser Koopa, King of the Dark Lands. So_

_long as Peach Toadstool keeps this agreement, Kamella Koopa_

_promises that neither she nor anyone she is affiliated with will_

_intentionally harm Bowser Koopa, King of the Dark Lands in any_

_way, shape or form._

_Once signed, this Magical Contract cannot be made known to any_

_persons other than the original signers and cannot be altered once_

_signed below._

_Sign here:_

_..._

_ Kamella Koopa _

Peach sighed and motioned for Kamella to give her the pen. Reading through it once and then a second time for good measure, the princess signed her name on the paper.

Immediately, a silver spark erupted from her pen. Like a shock of electricity, Peach could feel magic shoot up her arm, past her neck, and to a spot directly in-between her shoulder blades. The contract had been completed and she would be marked by it until the contract was broken or until the day she died.

"Wait… isn't there supposed to be a witness?" the princess muttered thoughtfully.

Kamella took the paper, wrote an extra line to be signed then looked around. "Oh, that's right! A witness must actually  _see_  us sign it," she said with mock surprise. "That really puts a damper on things, huh? I guess that means we should both be  _extra_  careful." With a wink from the Magikoopa and a flick of a wand, Peach found herself in her bedroom at Bowser's castle.

" _Extra careful_ … Kamella is going to find a way to use this against me if she hasn't already," Peach whispered with concern as she walked to the full-length mirror by her walk-in closet. As she stood in front of the mirror, she took off her pajama shirt and found her own signature written on her back under her bra strap. "At least it is easy to hide," Peach remarked bitterly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Rushed footsteps and a hurried knock at the door startled Peach as she stood looking at her mark in the mirror. She quickly latched her bra, put her pajama shirt back on, and took a deep breath before opening the door. A small smile graced her lips as her eyes settled on a messy red-haired ponytail.

"Mama Peach! Oh good… King Dad and everyone else in the castle has been looking for you for the past half hour!" Bowser Jr. explained as he popped his head through the door to look at her with a humongous smile. "...Are you ok, Mama Peach?" he asked, concerned by the pinkness in her eyes.

Peach opened the door and picked up the Koopaling with a small grunt. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. My, my… You have gotten bigger since the last time I last saw you."

"Yeah! And faster too! That's why I was the first one to find you!" Junior exclaimed proudly, pumping his fist just like his father. Peach laughed and brought him into a tight hug. For a moment, she felt a little less alone.

"Do you want to help me pick a dress for the day?" Peach asked kindly, setting him back on the floor.

As Junior opened his mouth to answer, another familiar voice came from the doorway.

"Junior has, like, no taste in fashion, but I can totes help you, Mama Peach!" Wendy stated as she entered the room, tightening the pink bow on her head with pure confidence. "Also, you might want to send someone to tell King Dad that you are still alive before he burns down the castle. Some of my accessories and shells aren't exactly, like, fire-resistant."


	8. The Speechless Princess

The Koopalings were unwillingly pulled back into their private lessons and Magikoopa Kammy dragged Bowser to his meeting with the council. This left Peach to roam the castle as she pleased. Initially, Peach tried to make her way back to her room but ended up getting lost in the process _._

 _"I'll never fully memorize all of these hallways. At least not like Mario, he runs through Bowser's Castle like it's…"_  Peach stopped herself.  _"He_ ran _through Bowser's Castle like it_ was _second nature,"_ she corrected herself sadly. Being in these halls somehow made it harder to believe that her plumber wasn't around to come and save her anymore.

As the princess attempted to push her sad thoughts away, she heard music coming from down the hall. "Noise means people and people love to help others," Peach thought, pushing herself forward with optimism. She followed the sound of the music until she came to a very heavy looking wooden door.

*knock knock knock*

The music stopped the door swung open to reveal a mess of deep blue hair. "I swear upon my clavichord if any of you miscreants intrude on my practicing one more time…!" Ludwig stopped short and quickly traded his angry frown with a genuine single toothed smile. "Mother Peach! Come in. You, unlike the malefactors of the castle, are always welcome," bowing as he motioned her into his room.

 _"Maybe Ludwig can tell me something about the League of Investors Kamella is apart of."_  Peach thought as she accepted his invitation with a slight bow.

Ludwig devotedly brought her a folding chair and set it next to his piano bench. This way, Peach wouldn't feel obligated to observe the normal formality of silence as he played. Once she had taken a seat, he allowed himself to sit at his piano and play a happy but relaxing piece. The grand piano was nine feet long and hand carved with intricate embellishments. Though it had no paint, the wood was naturally lighter the deeper it was carved making it look marbled until closer inspection proved otherwise.

"If I play anything that is an injury to your taste, please do not hesitate to express it. My unparalleled skill in music allows me to please the ears of even the most refined individuals that society can produce," Ludwig stated proudly.

"I will inform you if something is disagreeable, though it is highly unlikely that I would find fault in any of your music," the princess answered kindly.

"What brought you to my personal chambers, Mother Peach?" Ludwig asked, playing with little to no effort at all.

"I got lost in the castle so I followed the sound of your music... This is your bedroom?" Peach asked with astonishment. "Where do you sleep?" Now that she thought about it, she could see a large walk-in closet, master bathroom, desks, lamps, and dressers but there was no bed or comfortable furniture to even sit on.

"Since I primarily compose at the piano, I typically find myself asleep on the bench or beneath the soundboard. Occasionally, I will put my bench in a corner and rest my feet against the wall as I lay on my back," Ludwig explained casually. "Sleep deprivation is a sign of healthy practice methods."

Peach could feel herself becoming tired just thinking about it. "Your drive is certainly admirable, but I cannot say that I envy you. Also, I don't mean to pry, but I have a more personal question to ask you."

Ludwig brought his eyes to hers and nodded as he continued to play flawlessly.

"Has Bowser changed since he started kidnapping me?" Peach asked tentatively.

"Unequivocally."

Peach bit her lip. She probably should have asked a more open-ended question.

The absent-minded look on Peach's face made Ludwig's focused frown creep into a smile. Peach wanted to know more about Bowser and it gave the Koopaling a secret hope for his father.

"King Father kept to himself when I was a youth. Clawdia, his former wife, was a woman of immense strength and brashness. Though they had this in common, their obstinate personalities did not produce a wholesome relationship. My mother would only happen on the castle to bear her offspring, stay for a few weeks, and leave, only coming back to repeat the process. I, being the oldest, barely knew her and the younger siblings knew her even less. She died young and no one wept.

"At the time, if our father had expired, the other Koopalings and I would not have wept for him either. Though we knew him better, King Father would only make his presence known to us on the weekends when there were no meetings to evade and nothing to entertain him in his personal chambers." As he spoke, Ludwig inadvertently modulated his piece from major to minor. Realizing this, he stopped playing and silently began to inspect his hands. It took everything in Peach's power not to wrap him in a hug and curse Bowser's bad parenting skills.

Ludwig paused for a few moments to collect his thoughts and continued. "Following your first kidnapping, Father remained a recluse but, if my recollection serves me well, he became more invested in future preparations. Given time, he became happier and his improved temperaments gave us a heightened sense of confidence in his presence. My siblings were born with a knack for mischief but, at the time, it was only wrought on the servants and those who had rather terrible fortune. Soon, his adoration for you became our own and we became apart of the impish escapades our father started."

Peach shook her head with a small smile. "You know, I probably would have visited of my own free will had I been asked politely."

"Your kind-hearted disposition testifies in your favor; however, the prejudice that surrounded you then and now would never have allowed it," Ludwig stated dryly.

Peach wanted to protest, but she knew he was right. Almost all of the kingdoms surrounding Bowser's kingdom feared the Dark Land royal bloodline. The Koopa royalty had proven themselves fearsome warriors that lived on the pride of their unconquerable nation. Many wars over land and politics had taken place before Bowser's reign, but the fear other nations harbored against the Dark Lands would not be pacified merely because Bowser had not yet started a war of his own.

Many believed that the Koopa King was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. However, the only wars he had ever started were over Princess Peach or to bother Mario. Otherwise, Bowser had proven much more driven to build within his own kingdom rather than conquer surrounding nations, but no matter where he went, Bowser's pride and ferocious confidence preceded him no matter how far he traveled.

The servants of Peach's castle weren't the only ones who gossiped about his evil intentions and the rumors of blood on Bowser's claws. Each of her royal counselors, including Toadsworth, still worried over Bowser's every move, swearing that he would someday come to ruin their beloved Mushroom Kingdom.

Peach conceded, "Though I would like to say otherwise, you are most likely right. Regardless, it would be nice to get a friendly invitation first before getting stuffed in a clown car," she chuckled to herself.

"I'm glad I came and invited you, then," Bowser said as he opened Ludwig's door to let himself in.

Peach jumped a little at the King's unexpected appearance.  _"How much did he hear?"_

Upon seeing his Mother Peach's apprehensive expression, Ludwig turned on his bench to look at his father with a serious expression, "King Father, it is to my personal preference that you not walk into my private practice without being invited or properly announcing your presence. I fear Mother Peach won't lend her confidence to me if she gains any suspicion that we are in collusion with each other. Having said this, I think it is best that you temporarily extricate yourself from my practice."

"Yeah. Makes sense," Bowser lied. He looked at Peach and gave a confused shrug, which she responded to by putting her finger up to her mouth and then motioning for him to leave.

 _"Ah... she is so cute when she mimes,"_ Bowser thought, moving his tongue against the back of his teeth longingly as he nodded his head distractedly. Seeing that he wasn't getting her message, Peach made more exaggerated motions for, 'Shhh' and 'Leave.' She did it once more but stopped when she noticed Ludwig was staring at her from his bench.

"If primitive intelligence cannot comprehend a simple entreaty then we shall have to revert to something more rudimentary," Ludwig stated as he moved off of his bench and walked towards Bowser. "King Father?" Ludwig asked politely. "Would you like to listen to my piano arrangement of Handel's Water Music? Mother Peach was gracious enough to agree to listen to the whole of it. I promise it will only be an hour long."

"Uh, no! I just wanted to stop in and inform my... our guest that dinner is at 5 pm," Bowser explained hastily as he made his way back to the door. "And Ludwig…" Bowser turned his head to glare at the blue-haired Koopaling, "If you make Peach late, I will be sure to have Vaughan Williams Koopa tune every instrument in the castle a half-step flat."

Ludwig shuttered as Bowser closed the door. "Mother Peach, I may have been mistaken when I conveyed to you that King Father's temperaments had improved."

Peach giggled a little as she watched Ludwig situate himself on his bench and resume playing. "Your father is still short-tempered, but I have heard some say he has grown soft and isn't as feared as he used to be," she mused.

Ludwig snorted, "Fear… Utter nonsense. My father told me that a ruler who mercilessly takes glory, power, and wealth is worthy of being feared and respected, but that fear dies with them. Instead, King Father wants to build a strong indomitable Kingdom that retains its supremacy long after his life is spent."

Peach smiled, slightly surprised, "Is that really what he said?"

"King Father's exact words were much less refined, but the sentiments are the same," Ludwig answered with a smirk.

She laughed lightly and continued to listen to Ludwig's music as she thought over what the young Koopa had told her.

Ludwig, contemplating their conversation, wasn't completely satisfied with her silence. He was still quite young, but he considered himself to be rather perceptive. "Mother Peach, if I may be so bold, might you be worried about your influence on King Father?"

Peach smiled sheepishly, averting her eyes from the searching look on the Koopaling's face, "I'm not worried… I just happened to hear about a group of people that think Bowser and the Dark Lands would be better off without my influence. I wondered what your opinion was since you have a better perspective. You must admit my disposition doesn't exactly inspire the unbridled courage your father's does." Ludwig shook his head with a frown on his face.

"Firstly, it seems as though this  _group_ would prefer my father to be unhappy so their political views might be met. I have heard rumors of such opinions, but it would be fair to say that a great majority of the Kingdom is nearly as infatuated with you as my father - nearly. In my personal opinion, I would much rather my father to be happy. It has improved our family's relationship immensely. More importantly, King Father makes very irrational decisions when unhappy, thus, producing instability for the kingdom as a whole," Ludwig explained. "Secondly, you are a kind and benevolent ruler. This by no means implies that you are fragile or lacking in courage. Do you ascertain that my father was bewitched by your weak will? The thought alone makes reason blush. He adores you for the way you wield your heart and I suspect that your affable spirit can only embolden his own," Ludwig stated decisively, leaving Peach speechless.

Satisfied with this result, Ludwig closed his piano and led Peach to the dining room a healthy 30 minutes early.


	9. Chorella? Novella? Oryx Gazella?

**Bowser's Meeting**

"It has come to my attention that some of you don't agree with the changes I am making," Bowser said, looking at the council in front of him. "Would anyone like to elaborate?"

Boos, Koopas, Goombas and everyone else sitting around the table began to shift nervously. They were all well seasoned when it came to arguing over controversial topics, but speaking against Bowser was another issue altogether. The King had proven to be much more emotionally stable than rulers past, but he was still Bowser, King of the Dark Lands.

"If you don't tell me your concerns then they must not be important enough to call a meeting. You are all dismissed," Bowser stated, getting up from his chair.

"Please! Your Highness!" a Magikoopa in purple robes called. "We called this meeting because some of us feel that certain changes you want to make are questionable and maybe even… disagreeable." Bowser stopped and looked at the Magikoopa with scrutiny in his gaze. All of the counselors in the room looked at the Magikoopa with wide eyes.

"Pray, tell me, what is it that  _some_  of you find disagreeable?" Bowser asked with an air of fake concern.

"Your intention of forming an alliance with the surrounding kingdoms, for example, the Mushroom Kingdom," the purple-robed Magikoopa stated. The room filled with gasps and whispers but Bowser only continued to hold her gaze.

He chuckled and sat back down at the table, "What is your name again? Caramel? Camel? Cabella?"

"Kamella, your Ferociousness," she corrected him with a polite nod of her head.

"Yes, Kamella," he stated dismissively. "What is your disagreement with peace?"

"I have nothing against peace, your Viciousness. I only find it hard to believe that any of the neighboring Kingdoms would ever form an alliance with the Dark Lands, especially the Mushroom Kingdom."

"What would you suggest, then?" Bowser asked.

"That we end our attempts to create agreeable ties with other kingdoms and bring them to respect and fear us rather than seeing us as equals or less," she stated firmly.

The room was filled with hushed whispers as the councilors around the table argued over her statements. Two other Magikoopas in the room only glanced at each other and sat in silence while the rest of the council murmured to each other quietly. Bowser kept his eyes on Kamella despite the commotion that rose in the meeting room. She also continued to meet his gaze coolly.

"Who else believes this?" Bowser asked, keeping eye contact with Kamella.

The room quieted while the council contemplated the argument Kamella had brought forward. Two or three hands were raised not including Kamella's while the rest only shook their heads.

"How many of you believe that the surrounding kingdoms will refuse to form an alliance with the Dark Lands?" Bowser asked, continuing to stare Kamella down.

Most of the table raised their hands except for the other two Magikoopas and one other councilor at the table.

Kamella smirked, "King Bowser, most of us here believe that the nearby kingdoms don't respect us enough to form a pact. Constantly being defeated by Mario only brought this kingdom's supremacy into question. Yes, most of our defeats were intentional, but this only makes defeat that much more humiliating. We understand that you did it all to gain Princess Peach's favor. It was a  _noble_  cause, but the image of the King is what breeds respect for the kingdom he rules." Many heads at the table nodded in agreement with her argument.

"That is a load of shit," Bowser stated simply, bringing all eyes back to himself. "And those of you who agree are complete morons." The members of the council, who had previously agreed with Kamella began to object, but Bowser only lifted his hand to silence them. "The real reason the neighboring kingdoms wouldn't align themselves with us is that the Mushroom Kingdom has a strong relationship with most if not all of them. None of the surrounding kingdoms would agree to be our allies  _unless_  the Mushroom Kingdom stepped forward and formed an alliance with us." The council started to buzz with surprise.

A green-shelled Koopa raised his claw and asked, "What motive would the Mushroom Kingdom have to do something so wholly unexpected?"

"We will offer our assistance to them and open our borders to their business," Bowser stated with a smirk. As he expected, the council was shaken. A majority of the councilors were practically standing on their chairs trying to ask him questions. Kamella only shook her head in irritation. "Silence," Bowser ordered. The council stopped and sat back in their chairs reluctantly.

"So… when you told everyone you were done trying to win the Princess, you meant that you were changing tactics to impress her - despite the fact that she denounced you," Kamella commented coldly. This time, the council was as silent as the grave. Even Kamek tensed, waiting for Bowser to melt them all into puddles. Bowser stood from his chair and walked towards Kamella with smoke rolling from his nostrils. For once, the Kamella began to regret giving her opinion as Bowser clamped his claw on her shoulder and turned her chair to face him.

"You know, Ka-smelly, I am the king of one of the powerful nation in the world that reigned with blood and terror for generations. My ancestors tore power and glory from the corpses of mighty men and struck fear in the hearts of the world. They wanted the respect you speak so highly of," Bowser snarled. "But they are all dead. Do you want to know why?... Because they were all  _ass-hats_  like you. They are proof that fear is only a means to a bloody end. The hated die young and their legacy dies with them. But I will die old and the Dark Lands will be my legacy of unparalleled power and strength because I am a  _damn good king_  and I will run my kingdom the way I see fit!" He slammed his fist into the table, breaking it in half.

Kamella twitched at the end of his statement but remained silent. Having nothing more to say, Bowser growled, intimidatingly blowing out a thick cloud of smoke and left the room.

"Oh dear…" Kamek chuckled, breaking the silence that Bowser had left behind. "Even Kammy hasn't been called an ass-hat before! Heeeehehehe!" With that, the old Magikoopa got up and shuffled out before Kammy could smash his head in with her fist.

Kamella didn't bother answering. Instead, she transported herself away to brood over Bowser's words.

_"I will run my kingdom the way I see fit."_

"My, my… how alike you both are," Kamella said to herself. "Too bad. Bowser would have made a truly terrifying king."


	10. An Awkward Night

Dinner was always the part of the day that Peach secretly looked forward to whenever she was in Bowser's Castle. Though she had to sit next to Bowser at the head of the table, interacting with the Koopalings kept her mind off of her troubles. Somehow, no matter how overwhelmed the princess felt, the Koopalings always found a way to distract her. Each one of the royal Koopa children was filled with so many things they wanted to tell or ask her.

This time, Peach was rather impressed that the Koopalings willingly sat in their assigned chairs at the dinner table. Since the first time Peach had eaten dinner with the Royal Koopa family, Ludwig, Wendy, and occasionally Iggy would sit in their assigned seats without complaint, while the rest of the siblings fought over who should sit next to Peach. However, none of them fought over how got the honorary seat next to her, which happened to be Lemmy.

"Morton! Shaddup! I am tryyying to ask Mama Peach a question!" Lemmy yelled across the table. He had spent most of his time trying to keep as much of her attention to himself as possible. Morton stopped rambling about his new missile launcher and stuck his tongue out at Lemmy.

"What's the problem, Lemmy? Your boring stupid question isn't as cool as my conversation with Mama Peach. I don't make her answer boring stupid questions like the boring stupidly stupid questions you ask…" Morton rambled.

"Pardon the interruption Morton, but your efforts at conversing with your peers are just as debilitating as being poisoned by a Shroom. Might I suggest the 'Mcguffey's Reader' series? They are most effective for improving unintelligent speech," Ludwig stated, dabbing his mouth with an expensive looking napkin.

"Yeah, what he said Morton!" Iggy chimed in with a goofy smile. He had no idea what Ludwig had said, but it sounded like an insult.

"I need a translator for both of you weird little tiny weirdos who don't know how to talk any other language except the weird language of weird Weirdo Land. Stupid weird land of weirdo Koopas…" Morton growled, balling his fists around his eating utensils.

"Bro, dey sayin' you ain't right in da head an' you need sum kinda professional assistance, you know?" Roy explained with a cool hand sign and a nod of his head.

Peach shook her head and smiled a little as they argued until she felt a small tug on her shirt. Lemmy smiled at her shyly.

"Mama Peach, how long are you gonna be here this time?" Lemmy asked. "King Dad said you will be here longer than normal, but he didn't tell us how long."

Peach stiffened a little. Did Bowser know Mario wasn't coming? She looked at the Koopa King who quickly averted his eyes from her face when he saw her glance his way. Looking back at Lemmy, Peach smiled and said, "I don't know. I guess we will just have to see, huh?"

"Okay," Lemmy answered with a little disappointment, but soon another question dawned on him. "Mamma Peach? Do you love King Dad?" Lemmy asked with a hopeful little smile.

Peach coughed a little as the liquid from her drink got caught in her throat. "I uhh…" she started. All of the Koopalings became silent. Some of them made signs for Lemmy to be quiet while the rest listened intently. Peach was now very aware of all the eyes in the room that were now focused solely on her. She was especially conscious of the big red ones that she didn't dare meet.

 _"What should I say? Is there a nice way to say no without making Bowser or his children feel bad?... Why do I care about how he feels anyway? He puts himself into this situation repeatedly despite how many times I turn him down,"_ Peach thought to herself. Making up her mind, she opened her mouth to answer when she heard Bowser sigh and stand up from his place at the table.

"Lemmy, it's not polite to ask probing questions without permission. Especially at the dinner table," Bowser stated disapprovingly. Lemmy huffed but didn't give any other response as he looked gloomily at his feet. Peach gave a small sigh of relief as the rest of the Koopalings turned their attention away from her to their father.

Taking a step to stand beside the princess's chair, Bowser continued, "Okay, brats! You will get dessert after your homework is finished." All except Ludwig grumbled and complained. Once the Koopalings began to leave the table, Bowser looked down at the shocked princess. In a gentle voice he asked, "Peach, would you do me the honor of walking with me?" He bent down slightly and offered his arm to Peach, which she hesitantly took, standing from her spot at the table. The Koopalings continued to groan as she and Bowser made their way out of the dining room.

Peach walked beside him with her right arm hooked around his left. She noted that his skin wasn't as rough and dry as it used to be. Bowser's hair was also much less greasy.

 _"I wonder if he going to try to propose again? If he knows Mario isn't coming then there really isn't anything stopping him,"_  Peach mused with a tinge of worry. But mostly, she was just tired of the whole kidnapping charade. This was, after all, the thirty-first time Bowser had abducted her. Any moment now, he would make a snide comment about Mario and laugh evilly. She just knew it…

But as time passed, the only sound that filled the halls was the rhythm of their footsteps.

Bowser remained quiet as they walked through the hallways and his facial expression remained blank. Time seemed to slow and Peach felt the air grow thicker and thicker with awkward silence, but Bowser made no move to break it. Instead, he quietly led her to a door with a look of graveness on his face but also a spark of eagerness in his eyes. He opened the door and stepped aside, allowing her to fully take in what was on the other side, never taking his eyes off of her.

A soft, warm wind, embraced the princess and her eyes opened wide as she smiled at the King's gift to her. Her reaction both satisfied and saddened him.

_"Only for you, my Princess."_


	11. The Red Velvet Box

"Bowser, what is this?" Peach asked, with a smile on her face. He shivered a little as her eyes met his... Maybe throwing in the towel would be worth it.

"This is my gift to you and your kingdom," Bowser said, gathering himself up enough to give her his signature grin.  _"And proof that the most badass king that ever lived was friend zoned…"_

Peach stepped through the doorway and out into the open. A rooftop garden had been added to the castle. The garden was filled with plants that could be found in both the Dark Lands and the Mushroom Kingdom. Stone walkways wound through the scenery, which was lit by hand carved hanging lanterns. It was the most beautiful landscape she had ever seen. Framing that beauty, was a large stone archway. The words "Friendship Gardens" were carved into the stone with an insignia of a mushroom in the middle of a metal studded circle, which looked suspiciously similar to the armbands Bowser always wore on his arms.

"I had them take off the ceiling and renovate it... but do you remember much from the last time we were in this room? " Bowser asked, suppressing a grimace. He would rather forget about it, but it was essential for her to remember that night so she could fully understand what he was about to say.

Peach only nodded. She remembered perfectly well.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**7 Months ago**

_"GWA HA HA HA!" Bowser laughed as he laid on the floor basking in his genius._

_"Bowser! What did you do to Mario?!" Peach walked into the Final Boss room. She left Mario in the library to rest. Stars know he needed it._

_"Hey! Don't blame me! He is the one that started..." Bowser began as he got up from the floor and dusted himself off._

_"He is covered in... sewage!" she stated with (graceful) frustration._

_"What can I say? It's our 30_ _th_ _anniversary. I had to give my maaaan a proper gift!"_

_"I can't believe this. Mario only came here to save me from you! Don't you think covering him in manure is going too far? He could very well get a disease or something! The poor man looks half dead as it is," Peach frowned angrily._

_"I know_ I _never asked him to come save you. Did you ask him to come save you? If you did, then I will personally go clean him up right now!" Bowser frowned back at her stubbornly._

 _"I don't have to ask! This is the 30_ _th_ _time you have taken me_ against _my will," Peach stated angrily._

_"And you have loved every minute of it," Bowser growled in a low voice with a devilish grin._

_Peach stepped back from him and shook her head, too aggravated to look him in the eye._

_Bowser threw his claws in the air, "Oh, common!... Peach, just admit it." Peach looked up to see Bowser's face soften as he took a few steps forward to close the gap between them. "You smile when you are with me. I_ know _you enjoy bantering with me! When have you ever done that with Mario? Has he erected castles, built kingdoms from the ground up just to impress you, or even so much as tried to hold your hand during a romantic date under the stars like I have?" Bowser stepped closer and gently extended his claw to tuck her hair behind her ear._

_Peach shook her head in exasperation and smacked his claw away. "He may not be impressively rich or romantic, but he has strength and bravery in spades! And who says he hasn't held my hand under the stars? Not that it is any of your business," Peach stated curtly, getting more angry with Bowser._

_"Everything about you is my business, Princess. Also, you didn't answer my first question. Does Mario talk to you like I do? I once heard that love breeds fools and fools are known to talk a great deal. Has he ever spoken more than five words in a row?" Bowser asked_ _._

_Peach balled up her fists. "Stop it. Mario is different, Bowser!"_

_"Ahhh… That is where you are right. He is different - from me. I see and appreciate the beauty standing in front of me. If he appreciated it like me he would have made you his years ago, but he hasn't. He doesn't love you, Peach. Please, let him go. I have done all of this for years just to…" Bowser pleaded for her to listen._

_"Just to what?" Peach snapped, cutting him off. "Steal my heart? You are very talented when it comes to stealing, cheating, and lying. Congratulations! You have accomplished soooo much of it. But here's what you don't understand: you can steal me from my castle, storm the world with your oh-so-impressive armies, and have your childish temper tantrums but you will never touch my heart. You are nothing but a bully and a coward who takes advantage of others so you can reach for something that you never had any hope of getting. I will never love you," Peach said coldly, turning to make her way back to the library._

_Bowser was stunned and his blood went cold as she walked away. He had failed, again._

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Peach…" Bowser took out a square red velvet box and looked her in the eyes.

"Bowser, you know I won't..." Peach's facial expression became nervous and she began to refuse, but Bowser opened the box before she could finish.

"You were right," Bowser stated.

The princess reached out and pulled a golden key from the box. It had the same insignia as the Friendship Garden arch carved into the bottom of the handle. "What is it?"

"It is the Master Key to Bowser Castle. I had Kamek put a spell on it so it will work for any lock in the castle," Bowser explained. "You are free to come and go when you choose. You haven't really been a  _prisoner_  since the fourth time I kidnapped you, but you are now able to go wherever and whenever you want." The princess put a hand up to her mouth in shock.


	12. An Unusual Night

 

"The transportation level of the castle is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day for anyone except me. I can make them take me anywhere whenever I want. With that being said, I would appreciate it if you let me know when you want to leave so I can go with you or have an escort take you if that is what you would prefer," Bowser continued to explain. Peach looked at the key in her hands and her mind started racing. If that was true, she could go home tonight if she wanted to.

Bowser could see the cogs of her mind turning so he added, "There is only one thing I want you to do for me. You don't necessarily have to, but I would like it very much if you would stay until next Monday morning. You can leave at 1 a.m. if you want to, but I told the Koopalings you would be staying long enough for each of them to have a turn sitting next to you at the dinner table." Peach looked at the key in her hands quietly. "Also, I created a maze for Mario, which I'm sure he has already started by now. I wouldn't mind having a sparring session with him and letting him win his princess from me one last time. Besides, it would be rude to make him go through the whole thing and not be there for him at the end. Don't you think?"

Peach stood motionless as the gravity of Bowser's words hit her. He didn't know Mario was gone. He had also listened to every word she had said and though, it didn't fix the broken relationship between their kingdoms, it made Peach feel a tinge of regret for calling Bowser a coward.

"I don't know what to say," Peach said in a small voice, trying to loosen up her constricted throat.

"Say you will stay… please?" Bowser asked quietly.

Without thinking, Peach looked up and instantly regretted it. Bowser tried to hide it, but there was a trace of hope in his eyes that she didn't have the heart to crush and, upon closer inspection, she noticed the bags under his eyes were darker than usual. How much sleep had he lost to make sure his gift was as perfect as possible? She could see the worry on his face as he waited for her answer. For a moment, she felt a small but sudden urge to touch his face and wipe his uncertainty away. Peach flinched at the idea and thought,  _"It must just be a motherly instinct. I do the same thing for Bowser Jr. and Lemmy when they have bad dreams."_

"Peach?" Bowser asked, apprehension seeping into his voice.

The princess snapped out of her thoughts. "I'll stay as long as I can," Peach answered, "Is there any chance I can use a phone?"

Bowser deflated a little, "Sure." He snapped his claw and Kamek the Magikoopa popped out of thin air, handing Peach a pink cell phone.

"Here you are, your Highness," Kamek said with a low, respectful bow.

 _"Bowser really did pull out of the stops this time. Kamek hardly bows to Bowser let alone anyone else,"_  Peach thought to herself.

"This is a regular cell phone with magical modifications. You can call anyone anywhere in our world. You might even be able to contact other worlds if they are close enough to our own. Also, don't worry. There isn't a tracker on the cell phone. You won't be followed by anyone here at the castle or anywhere else. There aren't any limits on its use except for battery power, which can last up to 4 days if you hit the… Preserve Power mouse-button doohickey," Kamek explained the best he could. "Also, Princess? I would like to meet with you tomorrow morning before breakfast to speak with you concerning your wardrobe." Peach nodded her head in agreement and with a wave of his wand the Magikoopa was gone.

Bowser snorted.  _"Yeah, because we all know how much you love her dresses, Kamek,"_  he thought to himself with a smirk on his face. "Would you like to walk through the gardens?" Bowser asked Peach, politely holding out his arm to her.

"I would be delighted," she answered, accepting his arm. They walked for a few minutes in silence as she took in every detail. Bowser had thought of everything. She could tell he had chosen things that match both of their personalities so that the garden was a perfect mix of her and him

"Bowser, thank you," Peach said with a glowing smile.

"You're welcome," The Koopa King grunted awkwardly. Peach wasn't just thanking Bowser to be polite. She was genuinely thanking him.

Once they had made a full circle, Bowser walked the princess back to her room.

"Thank you for bringing me all of the way back. You didn't have to," Peach said with a small smile.

"It was my pleasure. Besides, Ludwig told me that you got lost on your way here earlier," Bowser said with a mischievous grin. Peach giggled with some embarrassment. "I will be sure to post some of my servants in the more neglected halls of the castle. You have always been as curious as a cat but, with  _that_  key, you could get yourself hurt. Please promise to be cautious if you find yourself wandering the halls alone."

"I will do my best and… I am sure I will get the hang of this castle with some practice," Peach said confidently. "Goodnight, Bowser."

With that, Peach closed her bedroom door leaving Bowser by himself in the hallways. Had she opened the door again, she would have witnessed Bowser fist pump and grin like a madman as he made his way to his room.

_"She's willing to spend time here!"_

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Peach set her back against the door as she thought over all of the freedom she had lost and gained in just one day. She opened her hands and looked at the gifts she had received. Both the cell phone and the key gave her the freedom to do as she pleased without being hindered or held back. There were definitely some things she wanted to do, but first, she had to call Daisy.

A little hesitant, Peach flipped the phone open and dialed Daisy's number. She hadn't heard from Daisy since Mario's death. His passing had been a hard blow for both Daisy and Luigi, but it was unusual for either of them to go so long without contacting Peach. She had attempted to contact Daisy a few times, but the servants at the Sarasaland Castle always told Peach that Daisy was busy and would call back when she could. She had also tried to contact Luigi, but her letters were never answered or returned.

Taking a deep breath, Peach entered Daisy's number into her phone, pressed send, and sat down on the edge of her bed. After the first three rings, a familiar voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, Daisy. I know you have been busy but…" Peach started.

"PEACH?! I haven't heard from you in months! How are you? It's so damn good to hear your voice!" Daisy practically squealed with excitement.

"Yeah, it has been a long time! I am doing fine right now, but I missed you, so I decided to call. How is Luigi? Is he doing better?" Peach asked with a smile as she listened to Daisy's voice. Peach had almost forgotten how good it was to talk to her cousin.

"Eh. Luigi has his ups and downs. Hey, Weegy! Come and say hi to Peachy!" Daisy ordered. Peach giggled as she heard a rustle in the background and something that sounded suspiciously like a smooch.

"Hello, Princess! It has been a long time! I hope everything is ok where you are," Luigi said.

"Yes! I am doing well. It's still the same old Bowser's Castle, so you know how it is," Peach said with a sigh.

"Wait… What about Bowser?" Luigi asked with surprise.

"Give me the phone!…. Peachy?" Daisy came back on the line. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Daisy asked worriedly.

"Oh, I thought you would have heard by now. Bowser kidnapped me from the Mushroom Castle this morning," Peach told her casually. "I am fine. No big deal."

"How is this not a big deal? Mario has been gone for months, and now you are in Bowser's Castle without anyone to save you?!" Daisy all but shouted.

 _"That's probably why no one told her,"_  Peach thought, smacking her forehead in frustration. "Daisy, calm down! It will all be okay! I am fine. You know Bowser would never hurt me. But you can't let anyone know where I am. If word gets out that no one is coming to save me, then my whole kingdom would be in hysterics."

"Okay…" Daisy said trying to get a grip on herself.

At that moment, Luigi took the phone. "Don't worry, Princess Peach. No matter how far away he is, Mario will always come back to save you. He will turn up! I just know it!"

Peach's mouth dropped open.  _"What did he just say?"_


	13. A Temperamental Old Hag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer to recent question:  
> The MarioxPauline pairing will all be explained just a little later. However, BowserxPeach are the main pairing so they will have more time in the spotlight. That's all I can really tell you without giving any of the plot away. Just know that I tagged MxP because they are important to the story :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Luigi continued, "Princess? Did you hear me? I know Mario will come back! He always does! Maybe this is the kind of motivation he needs to…"

"Luigi…" Peach stopped him, her voice low. "Mario isn't coming back. He can't anymore."

"But he is Mario! Don't count him out yet! He always comes to save his princess," Luigi stated with stubborn confidence.

"Luigi. He. Isn't. Coming. Back," Peach said angrily.

"But Princess…" Luigi muttered.

"He is DEAD, Luigi! I'm sorry, but he is gone and he is never coming back! I watched him bleed out on the floor of my castle! He even had a funeral! How could you say he is coming back?!" Peach snapped, tears streaming down her face as she spoke.

"What?" he whispered. Luigi dropped the phone in shock and Daisy's mouth fell open as she sat on his lap. Before she could say anything Luigi quickly moved out from underneath her and left the room.

"Luigi…" Daisy paused, picking the phone off the ground. "Peachy, I'm sorry! I have to go after Luigi." And with that, she hung up the phone and ran after him.  _"What just happened?"_  Daisy wondered.

Peach stared at the phone in her hands, completely dumbfounded. "Didn't Luigi know? Daisy knew… right?" she thought out loud. Mario has a tombstone in the Hero's Memorial Room. How did Luigi not know? Peach knew Mario was dead, but why wouldn't his closest friends and relatives know what happened to him? Luigi had said something about Mario being gone? Where did they think he had gone?

"This smells like Kamella," Peach said to herself. She got up from the bed and started pacing until her eyes fixed on a pile of Darklandian magazines. On the top of the stack, she could see the symbol of the Mushroom Kingdom printed on the front page.

She quickly crossed the room and picked up the magazine curiously. Her eyes widened as she read the bold letters on the front page.

HEARTBROKEN PRINCESS

Mario goes missing! What will Peach do now?

_by Get-Da-Scoopa Koopa_

"Great stars!" Peach exclaimed. "Does no one know Mario is dead? Granted, Mario's death would create a great amount of disarray in my Kingdom, but doesn't the world have the right to know? Especially his family and friends... The whole castle knew what happened after finding Mario and me in the hall, right? But the servants gossip all the time. I have a hard time believing that the Mushroom Castle could keep this kind of secret for more than two weeks, let alone half a year… Even if the council paid the servants for their secrecy…" Peach was missing too much information. Sitting back down on her bed, she felt a growing need to talk to Daisy and Luigi in person.

Peach waited with her phone in her hands for about fifteen minutes before impatience got the best of her. She texted Daisy this message:

_"Daisy, call back when you can… I don't know what is going on, but don't tell anyone anything yet. - Love, Peach"_

"I need to go and see them myself. I wasn't able to contact Daisy for months and I have a feeling that it had something to do with that Magikoopa," Peach decided, getting up from the bed. She made her way to go find Bowser but stopped herself.  _"If Bowser finds out Mario is dead, he might not bother letting me leave the Dark Lands knowing that no one is coming to save me. And if word comes from the Dark Lands that Mario's death was a cover-up, my father will have a revolution on his hands,"_ she thought to herself gravely.

Closing her door, Peach went over to the desk and wrote a letter to Bowser. It read:

_Bowser,_

_I am sorry but I had to leave sooner than expected. I promise I didn't initially plan this, but I have news from Sarasaland that I need to come immediately to fix some very urgent matters._

_I hope you will understand. Believe me when I say I am thankful for your generous gifts and hospitality._

_Forgive me and give the Koopalings my regards._

_Yours,_

_Princess Peach_

The princess felt bad for having to do this to Bowser, but she couldn't wait. She had to get to the bottom of this and figure out what Kamella had to do with this and hopefully find out what she was planning. After Peach put a travel bag together, she grabbed a castle map off her bathroom counter and left her bedroom. Leaving the note stuck to Bowser's door, Peach began making her way to the castle transportation hangar until she happened upon the kitchen. Deciding it would be best to grab something for the way, she opened the fridge and found a plastic bag with a big sandwich, chips, sliced pickles, and a soda. Taking it and thanking the stars for her fortune, she set off again to find the hangars.

By the time she got there, a red-shelled Koopa was closing up shop for the night. "Uhh... Sir?" she asked. "Are you closing?" The old Koopa licked his chapped lips and nodded his head kindly. "I wouldn't suppose there is a clown car or different mode of transportation that is still running?" Peach asked further. The Koopa blinked and shook his head.

"Sorry, young lady…" the old Koopa said slowly and feebly. "The last shuttle left at nine and it's a quarter past…"

"Oh…" Peach said, biting her lip.

"But…" the old Koopa turned around sluggishly and pointed down the hall. "If you take the elevator to the first floor, there is an exit on the East side of the castle. Right outside there is a car rental service that my brother Paul operates. Tell him Carl sent ya. That old llama lover will get a kick outta that, and you tell him I said so."

Peach smiled, hugged the old Koopa, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Carl," she said as she turned to walk down the hallway.

"No," he chuckled. "Ma' name's Willard. Carl is his ex-wife's name."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Once Peach finally made it through the castle exit, she could see the car rental business across the street. When she opened the front doors of the business, she saw an old green-shelled Koopa snoozing by the cash register.

"Excuse me, sir?" Peach asked.

"Hmmm?" the old Koopa flinched and blinked at her. "Ah... Young lady, transportation is closed for the night and if you are here for something else then that's too bad. My Casanova days died with my last Viagra pill 20 years ago."

Peach, though slightly embarrassed, let his last comment slide. "I'm sorry to trouble you sir, but Willard sent me to you since his hangar is closed."

"HA! Even better! That Koopa's  _hangar_  has been closed longer than mine!" the old Koopa laughed. Once he rubbed his eyes and put on a pair of glasses, he continued, "Sorry little girl but we are most definitely closed." He got up from his desk and flipped the paper sign on the door from  _open_  to  _closed_.

Peach was about to leave, but she stopped at the door and took a breath. "Willard told me to tell you that Carl sent me. He also said a llama lover like you would get a kick out of that."

The old Koopa's face went from old wrinkly yellow to red and blown up in seconds. She was about to run out the door before he skinned her alive when a strangled noise came from the old man's mouth.

The Koopa wheezed and spat, trying to keep his mouth shut, but finally burst into full-blown laughter. He laughed heartily for 2 minutes straight until he had composure enough to raise his hand to Peach saying, "Wait…" With a cough, he straightened up his hand knit sweater and said again, "Wait." Peach took her hand off the door handle and hesitantly moved away from the exit.

"That old bastard is gonna be the death of me one day, but I ain't gonna die leaving a pretty thing like you waiting at my door. Come on. We'll see what I can put together for ya. By the way, ma' name's Paul," he said, motioning her over to the counter. "Woo! Well then…" he muttered as he rustled through his filing cabinet. "Ah-ha! I think you'll like this one. She is a classic."

The old Koopa reached under the counter, grabbed his keys, and led Peach to a door that led to the outside parking lot. "This is a Mini Koopa Clown Car," Paul said, showing her an old green clown car with white racing strips on the front. "Her name is…Tottle? Tittle? That can't be right…" He looked at his papers again. "Turtle! Her name is Turtle! She is a temperamental old hag just like my ex-wife, but as long as you take her easy, you should be safe. Heh heh… I wouldn't go much higher than 10 feet off the ground though…"

Paul climbed up inside and beckoned Peach to stand behind him as he explained how Turtle worked. According to Pual, this was Peach's best bet if she wanted to get where she was going by tomorrow. Everything else in the area was closed or too far away to be worth going to. This surprised Peach, but she could see why most people wouldn't need rental cars when everything the locals needed was within a short walking distance.

"After paying the rental fee, sign here and here. Other than that, you're all set!" the old man said with a smile. "But when you bring ole Turtle back, make sure to stop in and spend some time with us old folks again. We need a little youth to keep our wrinkles from getting too deep."

"I would like that very much," Peach agreed, giggling a little as she started the Mini Koopa. "Happy trails, Paul."

The Koopa's eyes lit up and he smiled as he watched her leave. "Until we meet again, little girl."


	14. Red Faces

Within three hours, Peach had made it halfway to Sarasaland. "Turtle" was running well enough, but it took a lot longer to travel when the Mini Koopa Kart had to be flown ten feet above the ground. She could have tried to fly it over the forests, but she felt it was too much of a risk in the jittery little Clown Kart.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

Peach took her phone out of her pocket. Bowser was calling.

"It's only just past midnight! Why is he calling?" she said to herself as she ignored the call.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

"For stars' sake…" Peach muttered, ignoring the call again.

*Vppp*

This time Bowser had texted her and the screen of her phone read,  _"I know you have your phone."_

*Vppp*

_"Did you really think you could steal my midnight snack without me noticing?"_

Peach glanced behind her seat. The big bag of food she had taken from the fridge was sitting proudly on top of her suitcase. "Oops…"

*Vppp*

_"Thanks for the letter and all. It was very thoughtful of you."_

She clutched the steering wheel harder, feeling guilt grip her stomach as she read his text.

Bowser didn't call or text again, but he didn't need to. Peach already knew what she had done. Tucking the phone away, she loosened her grip on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. She didn't need to feel sorry. 

"I'll make it up to him later. Right now, my friends need me."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few hours into her journey, Peach heard an unusual rasping noise coming from the engine. She checked everything but it wasn't running low on power and there were no warning lights flashing. Just in case, she stopped on the side of the road and let the motor cool off for a good fifteen minutes before getting back in and starting Turtle up again. The sound went away, but another fifteen minutes later the little Clown Kart started rasping again. This time it was much louder. Peach began to fly a few feet lower as the sputtering sound continued to grow until it finally gave a loud  _huff_ and dropped to the ground.

Peach was a little shaken but uninjured. "No! Turtle…" she moaned. "Please don't give up now. At least get me out of the woods first," she pleaded with the Clown Kart as she stuck the key into the ignition. Turtle wheezed a very discouraging puff of gas and went silent.

"This is no good. It is only an hour past midnight and we aren't even on a paved road," Peach groaned. "But I am sure, with a little bit of elbow grease, I can fix her up in no time," Peach stated with her stubborn optimism. Once the princess got out of the Clown Kart, she quickly pulled out her cell phone and turned on the light.

An hour later, Peach was covered in oil but the Mini Koopa Kart showed no signs of improvement. "Well... I am sure there will be people using this road within the next few hours! It is rather gravelly and unkempt, but it is good enough to be driven on," Peach reasoned with herself as she took in her surroundings. The gravel road she now found herself stranded on was littered with potholes and wound through a thick forest of large trees.

Hearing water in the distance, Peach decided to take a look around and loosen up her muscles. Luckily, the moon was so bright that she didn't need to use the light of her phone unless the trees were thick enough to block the light of the moon. A short distance away, she found a beautiful rocky stream bubbling happily through the forest. A little farther up the stream was a small waterfall with naturally formed pool beneath it. The water was crystal clear. The light of the moon could be seen gently resting on the bottom, where a couple of fish were swimming at their own leisure.

"I guess I should clean myself up before resting," Peach smiled. Walking all the way back to the Clown Kart, she grabbed her suitcase and took it back to the side of the pool she had found. Stripping her self of her dress, she wiped a majority of the oil from her arms onto the fabric and entered the pool in only her bra and panties.

The water was just high enough to reach the middle of her thigh. The princess shivered as she stood in the water, which was just warm enough to be pleasant but just cool enough to give her goosebumps. After wading for a few minutes, she put her head under the water and quickly flipped her head back out, flinging a perfect arch of the crystal water with her long blonde hair, just as Daisy had taught her when they were kids.

"What. The. Hell."

Peach yelped and wrapped her arms around herself as she turned around to see the Koopa King himself standing at the edge of the pool. He was absolutely stunned.

Peach quickly sat down in the water and turned away from him, covering her scarlet red face with her hands. She yelled over her shoulder, "What in high hell are you doing here, Bowser?!"

"C-coming to… f-find you…" Bowser stuttered stupidly.

Peach looked back at him. He was standing with his mouth wide open and his red face almost glowed. With a sigh, she said, "W-well… stop your gawking and hand me my towel!"

"Yeah… M-makes sense," Bowser said, slowly pulling his eyes from the skinny dipper and moved towards the towel she had set on top of her suitcase.

Peach stayed where she was, but a click caught her ears and to her horror, her bra unsnapped itself. With a mortified squeak she took a hold of the front of her bra to keep it in place but soon realized her Contract mark was now wide open for Bowser to see. If he saw the signature, it would risk him finding out about the Contract.

_"Once signed, this Magical Contract cannot be made known to any person other than the original signers."_

"Shit," Peach whispered. She looked back and saw Bowser stretch his arm out to grab her towel from the ground.

Just as he was about to look up, the princess jumped out of the water, grabbed the towel from his claws, and quickly hid behind a tree.

If their faces here red before, they were a much deeper red now.

Bowser stood completely frozen in place. The claw the towel was taken from remained extended. "Did you just…?"

"Shut up, Bowser," she mumbled from behind the tree, not daring to come out from behind it.

"You really did just…" Bowser started again.

"Bowser! Shut up, damn you!" she yelled in dismay.

They both remained quiet until she heard rustling come from the other side of the tree. "Bowser, stay out of my stuff. You can't just rummage through my…"

A pink dress popped up beside her. "Here," Bowser grunted, keeping his face on the other side of the tree as he held the dress out to her with his claw.

Peach took the dress out of his hand and peeked out to watch Bowser take a few paces in the opposite direction, sit with his back to the tree, and cover his eyes with his claws.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Yep," he answered.

After drying herself off with the towel, she put her dress on and situated herself until she was comfortable. Taking a deep breath, she walked out from behind the tree to see Bowser in the same position she had left him in. Hearing her walk closer, he took his hands off his eyes, stood up, and faced her with a look of uncertainty on his face.

"Sorry," Peach apologized, keeping her eyes away from his face.

Bowser shook his head, "No… it was my bad for walking in like that. I was just so set on finding you that I didn't even think about what you might be doing."

They stood silently looking anywhere but at each other. A few very awkward minutes passed by until Bowser plucked up the courage to open his mouth to speak.

"Why?" Bowser asked softly.

Peach held her breath and continued to look away from him, guilt filling her body again. She thought she would have more time to think about how to explain herself. This isn't how she had planned things to go.

"Peach?"

"I… I had to get to Sarasaland. Something has come up and…" but Bowser shook his head.

"I know you have  _urgent_  business. But why the letter?" Bowser asked. "Why not just knock on my door and ask me to take you? You could have been there much quicker." Taking a breath, he pulled his eyes from the ground and looked at her face. Peach guiltily stared at the ground as she tried to choose the right words to answer.

"You thought I wasn't going to let you leave, didn't you?" 

Peach folded her arms and stubbornly huffed, still keeping her eyes away from his face. "There was a chance you wouldn't, but I mostly didn't feel like I needed to explain myself. I already told you more than what I should have," she said, picking up her stuff and packing it back up in her suitcase.

Bowser shook his head in frustration but took a deep breath. "So what is your plan now? It doesn't look like your girly little Clown Kart is up to the task."

"Her name is Turtle!" Peach corrected him. "And I am going to sleep for the rest of the night until morning. I am sure she will be running better once her motor cools off. "

"Or you could go back to the castle with me and we can get you on one of my official transportation ships," Bowser suggested.

"No," Peach stated.

"And why not?" he groaned.

"Because I already made up my mind to drive myself," she answered firmly.

"Peach, you are a strong, independent woman… but you are also the thickest, most stubborn person I know," Bowser growled. Peach watched him warily as he walked up to her and stretched out his claw. She closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for him to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her against her will. Instead, she felt him tug the suitcase out of her hand begrudgingly. Opening her eyes, she watched him with a look of surprise as he searched for a good place to set up camp.

 _"He's not going to take me back to the castle? It's not like I could stop him,"_  Peach wondered.

Once he had found softer ground, Bowser set Peach's suitcase down and began searching for dry wood while Peach changed into her pajamas. A few minutes later, Bowser set down a pile of dry tree branches and, with a small puff, lit the branches, creating a rather charming fire.

"See that?" Bowser exclaimed proudly. "No one makes a fire bigger or quicker than me." He grinned and looked at Peach, but was quickly silenced when he saw that she had already curled up on the grass in her pajamas. After rummaging through her bag again, he found the pink blankets that he had kidnapped her in on Sunday morning and gently laid them over her. She shifted a little but her eyes stayed closed.

Bowser smiled at her quietly for a few minutes. After checking the fire one last time, he laid down on his stomach with his head resting on his arms. Peach opened her eyes when she heard him begin to lightly snore. She was tired, but her mind was having trouble slowing down. Quietly, she counted to one hundred and focused on her breathing. She repeated this process and, in about 30 minutes, her muddled thoughts transferred themselves to her subconscious.

Peach would not have restful dreams.


	15. One Missed Turn and a Bag of Chips

Birds were starting to chirp and Bowser was getting pissed. The sun wasn't even up! He groaned and shifted but refused to open his eyes. He was about to fall back asleep when he heard a high-pitched squeak that seemed to come from something relatively close. After a few moments of cautious listening, he started to fall back asleep when he heard it again. Opening his eyes, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around.

Everything was normal enough. There was no rustling in the woods, suspicious smells or signs that anything else was nearby. Bowser ran his claw through his hair and turned his head to look at Peach wrapped up from head to toe in her cocoon of blankets. He smiled when she shifted slightly.

"Hey, Peach. Did you hear that weird noise a few minutes ago?" he whispered. His only response was a small cry which startled him. He quickly crawled forward and tapped her nervously. The blankets shivered and Peach began to breath heavier. Bowser gently turned her over and felt his heart crack when he saw her cheeks stained with tears. "Peach," he whispered as he carefully shook her.

Peach opened her eyes and let out a bloodcurdling scream when she felt Bowser touch her. Her eyes were unfocused as she stared at him and she tried to crawl away from the hulking figure above her. Bowser could see the confusion and terror in her eyes.

"Peach! It's okay. It was all a dream," he said, trying to calm her down.

"Bowser…?" she whispered, cautiously. He nodded his head and gave her a small worried smile. She looked around and started to breathe normally. Bowser could practically hear her little heart beating a hundred miles an hour as he cautiously sat next to her in the grass.

She looked away as she wiped her face with her sleeves. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"I was already kind of awake…" Bowser answered. "Are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her face. She avoided his worried stare.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I was just having a nightmare. I didn't mean to startle you," Peach lied.

"What was it about?" Bowser asked.

"I don't remember," she lied again as she tried to look thoughtful.

Bowser didn't believe it for a minute. Peach has always been a terrible liar but he let her off the hook for now. She still looked shaken and pressing her would probably only make things worse. He sat next to her and watched her out of the corner of his eye.  _"Something is terrorizing her and… I have a strange feeling that we are being watched,"_  he thought as he glanced at the forest around them. Despite himself, he put his arm around her protectively as they sat together in silence.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Since there is nothing more you can tell me about your business in Sarasaland and you refuse to change your mind, I'll volunteer to take you the rest of the way!" Bowser grinned with determination as he walked beside the princess.

"That won't be necessary," Peach argued as she walked past him.

"Oh, but I think it is! I can't just leave a beautiful princess like yourself out here in the middle of nowhere with no one to make sure you are safe. That would be awfully  _terrible_  of me... What would people say?" Bowser rationalized dramatically.

"You, of all people, have never cared what other people think. Besides, I have a vehicle that is more than capable of getting me safely to my destination…" Peach insisted.

"What? That poor excuse for a Clown Car? It's like you  _wanted_  to break down and get stranded in the middle of a massive forest, on a road that no one ever uses," Bowser said sarcastically with a chuckle.

"I am not stranded! Turtle is just fine and I will have her running again in no time," the princess said optimistically.

"Yeah. About that… I already strapped  _her_ on the back of my Koopa King Kart. She's not flying anywhere strapped down like that," Bowser said as they finally made it back to the gravel road and his massive Kart came into view.

"Bowser!" the princess complained. He smirked and hopped on his ride. It was a massive green Kart tricked out with spikes, six wheels, horns, and a sharp-toothed grin on the front.

"Common, Princess," Bowser said, extending his hand to her from his seat. "I thought you had urgent business in Sarasaland? Unless… you have changed your mind." He grinned at her tauntingly.

She sighed and wanted to walk away from his offer, but he was right. Turtle had gone as far as she could go and there was no sign anyone else would ever pass by on this road. "Fine," she stated as she climbed onto the Koopa King Kart, ignoring his outstretched hand. "But I get to drive."

"Of course! It will give me something to talk about when I have my meeting with King Boo. He'll be so jealous when I tell him that you not only rode the Koopa King but drove him yourself! Gwa ha!" Bowser chortled.

"Absolutely not!" Peach shouted, horrified and red-faced as she realized the implications of his statement.

"Calm down, Peach. It's all in good fun. Besides, you are the only person in the world that would take that seriously," Bowser said, looking at her red face with a bittersweet expression of his own. "Everyone else would laugh at the thought of that ever happening."

Peach shook her head and situated herself on the Kart. It was too big for her but she could reach everything with a little finagling. Bowser watched her with a satisfied smirk and leaned his back against the Mini Koopa Kart that was strapped to the back. Once she was ready, Peach turned the ignition key and the engine raged into life. Her eyes widened in surprise and a nervous smile crossed her face.  _"Okay… Now I just need to put it in gear and gently pull forward..."_

"Woe! Woooooe…" Peach exclaimed as the Kart suddenly jerked forward and stopped abruptly with just a tap of the gas pedal. Bowser grunted as he smacked his head on the Mini Koopa Kart. The princess glanced back at him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Just checking the pedals…"

"You know, I could take off my spiky shell and drive so neither of us dies. I always have shorts with me," Bowser stated casually.

"No!" Peach yelled, looking back at him with wide eyes. Seeing he hadn't moved to do anything, she sat facing forward again, obviously flustered. "I mean… there is no need for you to do that. I can drive just fine." Peach got back into place and took hold of the steering wheel. Even as she looked away, Bowser could see her ears had turned bright pink.

"What? You can take off your bra but I can't take off my shell?" Bowser teased.

At that moment, Peach slammed her foot on the gas, intentionally making him smack his head on Turtle, and took to the road as quickly as possible.

"That is not… Don't ever speak of that again!" she ordered furiously.

If Peach had looked back, she would have seen Bowser's pink face grinning from ear to ear. He would create a hundred "Friendzoned Gardens" if it meant he could relive that moment at the pool again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After four more hours of driving, Peach was starting to get used to the raw power of the Koopa King Kart. She was also starting to feel (sort of) grateful for the new ride. For a normal Kart, it would take ten hours or more to drive from the Dark Lands to Sarasaland, but this Kart was a monster. Bowser had estimated that it would take them less than eight hours to get to Sarasaland on the Koopa King Kart.

"Peach, could you stop the Kart for a moment and look at the map with me?" Bowser asked. She took her foot off the gas, brought the Kart to a stop, and turned around to look at him.

"Something isn't right about this road. See?" He tapped his claw where they were on the map. "We were only supposed to be on it for five kilometers and come to a fork in the road, but we have been driving on it for at least fifteen and there have been no turns."

Peach took the map into her hands. Bowser was right. She remembered looking this route over before she set off in the Mini Koopa Kart. Giving Bowser back the map, she prepared to start driving again.

"I'll keep driving straight for a while. Watch out for any road signs. We might have turned at the wrong place," Peach said with a small frown.

They drove for a few more minutes before they finally saw the name of the road they were on.

"Lenore Road?" Bowser said with a heavy sigh. "Peach, you're gonna wanna take a look at this."

She stopped the Kart again and looked over the map. "What the stars?" Peach muttered in unbelief. "Bowser, according to this, we are six hours away! What happened?"

"I don't know, but we are farther away than when we started," he stated.

Peach gave an exasperated sigh. How could this happen?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After six more hours of driving and paying close attention to the map, they still weren't in Sarasaland or even close to it. Bowser wasn't even sure where they were this time.

"Peach! I'm sorry! I don't know what's going on," he called after her as she got off the Kart and stomped away.

"You are intentionally taking me the wrong way! I was getting there just fine when it was just me and my little Clown Kart," Peach shouted back crossly.

"No! Peach, I told you I would take you there and I am trying to, but the halfwit who made this map didn't know a thing about this place," Bowser explained trying to get her to believe him.

Peach only scoffed at him and continued to walk away until she came to a rock big enough to sit on. This whole area was a wasteland of rubble, cactus plants, noxious weeds, and sad. Luckily, the sun was behind the clouds or she would be roasting beneath the afternoon sun.

Bowser got off the Kart and sat down on the rock beside her. She scooted down the rock and turned her back to him giving him a cold shoulder.

"Want something to eat?" Bowser asked her.

"No," she answered bluntly, continuing to look in another direction.

"Well that sucks because I bought a whole bunch of stuff from the last gas station we stopped at," Bowser said with a shrug. She didn't respond to him so he pulled a bag out of his shell and started fiddling with a small candy wrapper.

*crackle, crackle*

He continued to grunt in frustration as he completely failed to open the candy wrapper.

*crackle, crackle, crackle*

"Give it to me!" Peach snapped at him. Snatching the wrapper from his claws, she quickly opened it and held it up to him impatiently.

The Koopa King smiled gratefully as he took it in his claw. "Could you open this one too?" he asked, holding up a bag of chips. It was obviously easier to open than the tiny candy wrapper but Peach took it and opened it for him anyhow. She really didn't want to listen to crinkling plastic anymore.

After a few moments of chewing, Bowser saw her start to loosen up a little bit as she sat staring off in thought. She even went so far as to eat a handful of chips, but she still wouldn't look at him. Apparently, eye contact wasn't trending today.

"I promise, I didn't mean to get us lost or to keep you away from Sarasaland," Bowser said with sincerity.

"I know," Peach said quietly. Bowser raised his eyebrows but she kept her eyes fixed on something in the distance. "Let's get going. I want to at least try to reach Sarasaland by nightfall."

Bowser nodded and put the bag of food back in his shell. As they made their way back to the Koopa King Kart, a buzzing sound came from the hidden pocket in Peach's dress.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

Peach pulled her phone out and checked, "It's Daisy!" immediately flipping the phone open and putting it up to her ear. Then, realizing Bowser was still within hearing range, she motioned for him to go back to the Kart without her.

"Daisy? How are you? Is everything okay?" Peach asked excitedly.

"Peach! Everything is fine. Sorry for taking so long to call you back. Luigi was in bad shape and the council had an emergency meeting that lasted all morning," Daisy explained eagerly.

"Emergency meeting? About what?" Peach asked.

"Your kidnapping! Peach, information got leaked and now everyone knows you have been taken but no one knows who did it! Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything, but most of them suspect Bowser did it. I don't know what is going on with this whole Mario thing, but most people are holding out for him to come back while others aren't sure he will. It is a mess.

(A knock was heard in the background.)

"Oh…that is probably a member of the council at my door. I'll call you later and we will figure this out! Love you, Peachy!"

*Click*

"Bye," Peach answered back quietly. She was more confused than the last time she talked to Daisy. Walking back to the Kart, she asked, "Bowser, can I see that newspaper that you picked up earlier?"

He nodded, pulled it out of his shell, and handed it to her as he dumped a bag of chips into his mouth. Taking it, Peach opened it and flipped through the pages. Sure enough, the very first section had the Celebrity News updates.

She read it out loud, "Still no sign of Mario. Is Luigi going to be Princess Peach's new guardian?" She stopped reading and looked at the Koopa King. "Bowser, what do you think about this?"

He shook his head and started picking his teeth with his claw, "I think that it is a good thing that I am not going to kidnap you anymore."

"Why?" Peach asked curiously.

"Because the Mushroom Kingdom would never have gotten you back! Gwa ha ha!" Bowser laughed, pounding the side of the Kart with his fist.

"Oh, you brute…" Peach feigning indignation as the sides of her mouth threatened to betray a smile. "You know that's not what I meant."

"To be honest, Peachy, I don't think anything of it. Celebrity News has always been a crock," Bowser stated indifferently.

"Well, think about it more and tell me," Peach insisted, watching him closely as she rested her elbows on the Koopa King Kart and laid her chin in her hands.

He sighed, "Peach, I'm being serious. The news in the Dark Lands doesn't even consider the Celebrity News as  _actual_  news, so no one there watches or reads it. There are ways to get Celebrity News in the Dark Lands, but it is unofficial in my Kingdom. Also, I have heard rumors that Mario dumped you and skipped town, but let's face it, it's just a load of crap made to spice things up in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Dumped me? That… makes no sense," Peach said bewilderedly.

"See? Right from the horse's mouth! Never happened. Just as I thought," Bowser claimed with pride. He would have liked it if Mario was out of the picture but, at the same time, Peach would be devastated.

"Why would…?" Peach stopped. She knew why such a rumor would be used. Mario was murdered and someone was covering the whole thing up. She didn't know how, but they were succeeding and the Kingdoms were waiting to see if Mario was coming back for her after… dumping her.

 _"This is getting way too complicated,"_  she thought to herself.  _"But some things make sense now... Daisy came to visit and console me thinking that Mario had broken my heart and left. That also explains their shock when I told them that he was dead. They had no idea. No one outside of the Mushroom Castle knew…"_ That meant she had to go to the Mushroom Castle and see what was going on, but she still needed to talk with Daisy and Peach was sure they were closer to Sarasaland than the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Why would  _what_?" Bowser asked when Peach didn't finish her question.

"Nothing. I need to get to Sarasaland and talk to Daisy," she said more to herself than Bowser as she climbed back onto the front of the Koopa King Kart. Bowser watched her and pulled out the map from his shell.

"I think we are _here_ ," Bowser pointed to a certain road on the map. "It is about 6 hours away from the Sarasaland Castle. If we hurry, we might be able to make it before it gets too dark. The Koopa King Kart has headlights, but it isn't wise to travel at night when we haven't had much sleep. If it gets dark, we stop and sleep. Agreed?"

"We'll see. I'm not tired at all yet," Peach stated. There were too many things on her mind to allow her to rest.


	16. Sleepless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-optional Song Suggestion:
> 
> "I'm Not in Love," by 10cc.
> 
> I will let you know when to start playing it ;)
> 
> But if you have Itunes, look up the Angel's Music Box version. It makes a certain part of this story so precious!

Two more hours of traveling went by, and the sun was already beginning to change shades as it made it's way to the ground. The scenery had also transformed into endless fields of farmland with patches of trees and rivers. Though it was much less boring than wasteland, it was getting hard for the travelers to stay awake - Peach especially. Despite the stress that constantly followed her, her eyelids slowly closed more each minute. Soon her eyes had completely shut and the Kart's right tire started to trail off the road and into the dirt.

Feeling the Kart hit gravel, Bowser jumped into action. He grabbed a hold of Peach and took her place in the driver's seat. Just in time, he jerked the wheel and leaned into a harsh turn, barely missing a massive boulder. The Kart squealed as it turned and threated to flip but Bowser shifted his weight to keep both sides of the car on the ground and hit the brakes to bring the Kart to a halt.

"Peach, are you okay?" Bowser asked in-between taking deep breathes.

…no answer…

Bowser looked down and saw he had put his hand right over Peach's face. He quickly removed his hand and Peach leaned forward gasping for breath. The Koopa awkwardly patted her back and apologized to her repeatedly for almost suffocating her.

"What are you talking about?" Peach heaved, taking longer and more controlled breaths. "I almost got us killed and you saved us!"

"My badass driving skills wouldn't have done much good if you had ended up dying from suffocation," Bowser stated half jokingly and half serious.

"Damn, I'm such a moron…"

Before Peach could refuse or move away, he pulled her into his chest and locked her in a hug. She was completely encased in him. The shell on his stomach was hard but his arms were warm and kind of soft like his lap…

 _"Wait! I am sitting on his lap…?!"_  Her body went rigid as she tried to wiggle her way out of his iron grasp.

"Bowser, it's getting hot in here. C-can you let me go?" Peach asked anxiously, as she tried to will him to move.

She heard and felt a low growl rumble through his chest. Her efforts came to an immediate stop, and the hair on her arms stood straight up.

"Only if you promise to stop for the night," Bowser spoke into her ear. She shivered as his hot breath warmed the skin on her neck.

"I promise," she answered in a whisper that he could barely hear.

Giving a satisfied grunt, Bowser unwrapped his arms and shifted so Peach could dismount the Koopa King Kart. She got off without a word and grabbed her suitcase. Before Bowser could follow, Peach made her way to the forest just beyond the field of soybeans they had almost crashed in. Once she made it to the woods, she found a clearing with a patch of grass and set her bag down. It was almost pitch black out, but she found her pajamas and slipped them on.

After Bowser started another fire, he sat next to Peach with a sigh.

"Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?" Bowser asked with a look of concern. Peach straightened out a wrinkle on her dress and pursed her lips.

"Yeah. I don't get nightmares very often," she answered. He watched her hands fidget nervously as she spoke.

"Hmm… makes sense," Bowser said simply. He then got back up and busily searched for more wood. As the Koopa walked around, Peach laid down and attempted to sleep. An hour went by before he finally sat back down beside her.

"You aren't asleep yet, are you?" Bowser stated as more of a statement than a question.

"…No," Peach answered quietly.

"Well, since neither of us are going to sleep anytime soon, why don't we play a game?" Bowser asked with a devious smile.

Peach sat up, absently fixed her hair, and looked at him curiously. "I don't play strip poker if that is what you have in mind."

Bowser chuckled, "How about Truth or Dare?"

"No," Peach answered simply.

"What? Why not? It's a good game!" Bowser asked eagerly.

"That depends on  _who_  you play it with," Peach laughed dryly, shooting him a glance.

"I will play nice. I promise," Bowser crossed his heart with his index claw and gave her a toothy grin. She shook her head and sighed in exasperation.

"Fine…" Peach said. "But only if you play a fair,  _clean_  game. If not you forfeit the game and I win. No questions asked."

Bowser grimaced slightly but nodded in agreement. "Okay, princess… Truth or Dare?" Peach sat up straight and searched his eyes carefully.

"…Truth," she answered.

"Good choice," Bowser smiled. "Have you ever picked your nose?"

"Bowser! That's a forfeit!" Peach chastised him.

"No, it's not! If you consider  _that_  dirty then this game won't be any fun at all!" Bowser argued. Peach brought her legs up to her chest and glared at him.

"Yes," she answered softly. Bowser laughed and she frowned at him.

"Shut up! Truth or Dare, Bowser?"

"Truth," he chuckled and sat back on his tail casually. He was an open book.

"Hmmm, you always talk so proudly about how godly you are. What is one thing that you dislike about yourself?" Peach asked with a smirk.

Bowser's smile faded a little, but he caught himself. "What are you talking about? I'm the hottest, toughest, strongest, smartest person in the world!" He winked at her. "Perfect as a ruler and an even better lover."

Peach leaned away from him as he wiggled his eyebrows… seductively?

"You're stalling," Peach folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at him. Bowser rolled his eyes.

"Hey, it's hard for perfect people to find things they need to improve… Hmmm..." Bowser thought carefully. "I dislike that I am too kind," he finally answered with a shrug.

"Wait… What do you mean,  _too kind?_ " Peach asked with a little disbelief.

"Nope! My turn!" Bowser grinned. "Truther or Dare?"

She chose Truth.

"If you could go back to the past and change something what would it be?" Bowser asked. He watched as her eyebrows furrowed and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. Bowser always loved watching her think. It was one of his favorite expressions. Even better, Peach only ever wore this expression when she was comfortable.

"Our first meeting," Peach said, a tiny bit of sadness entering her voice. Bowser grimaced and looked away. That was not what he had expected her to say. Did she really regret the first time they met?

"How would you have changed it?" Bowser asked with a guarded expression.

"I wish I would have invited you and your Kingdom to our ball that day," Peach answered.

THAT was really not what he had expected.

She saw his confused expression and sighed. "You don't remember, but the day you took me Father was going to host a Mushroom Kingdom Ball with the surrounding kingdoms. I asked the council if we could invite you and your people. They said no. I didn't like leaving you out but I didn't have the courage to send for you without proper introduction or permission from Father. I like to think that if I had invited you, you would have come and things would have been different. Maybe you wouldn't have kidnapped me and things would have been... friendlier."

"I might have shown up, but that wouldn't have stopped me from kidnapping you," Bowser said simply.

"You don't know that," Peach contended with a frown.

"I  _do_  know that," Bowser grumbled. "Anyhow, my turn…"

"No, it's not! Why would you have kidnapped me anyhow?" she asked with eager curiosity.

Bowser glared at her and turned his head away. "I choose Dare," he grunted. Peach pouted.

"Fine. Take your claws and scratch the paint on the Koopa King Kart," she ordered.

"What?! The paint is…" Bowser's eyes widened and he looked at her with incredulity.

"Just this once I'll let you change your mind. Choose one, Truth or Dare?" Peach inquired. Bowser looked at the Kart and then back at her.

Truth.

"…I wanted to make my wife jealous," Bowser mumbled quickly. Peach was sure she had misheard him.

"You wanted to make your wife jealous…?" Peach repeated his words slowly.

Bowser watched her from the corner of his eye as she mulled over his answer.

"You… didn't steal me for my kingdom? Or because I was a beautiful princess?" she looked at him with searching eyes.

"Hell no! I was a married man with the biggest, coolest kingdom in the world! I didn't care who you were. I hadn't even met you before! Psh… that would be so weird…" he mused to himself. Peach shook her head at him in disbelief.

"What? I honestly didn't care who you were or what you had. You were just a princess featured in some magazines. When my wife, Clawdia, saw that you were in most of the magazines the servants brought to my bedroom, she freaked out, ordered them to be burned, and banned those magazines from the Dark Lands. She accused me of being unfaithful to her, or something like that," Bowser chuckled.

"After that, she looked through every magazine that was brought to the castle. One of the magazines Clawdia kept had the most beautiful blue gemstone on the front of it. She brought the picture to me and told me to buy it and give it to her as a present for her birthday!" Bowser began to laugh heartily. "I did her one better! I brought the gem AND the girl it belonged to! Gwa ha! ha! ha!"

Peach didn't know how to react to that. She knew he wasn't making it up. Bowser was a mischievous Koopa. It was in his blood to play tricks and poke fun at people. A part of her felt bad for Clawdia while the other part was relieved – kind of.

"The first time I kidnapped you I was just riling Clawdia up for kicks and giggles. A year later, she died and, to make her roll in her grave, I told Bowser Jr. that you were his Mama! That's why he kidnapped you for the second time. He wanted to meet you, and the rest of his siblings went along with it. Those sneaky little punks really did a great job too! But then something happened while you were with the Koopalings…" Bowser stopped and brought his eyes back to Peach's face. There was an awkward moment of silence and Peach began to blush at the wistful look in his gaze.

"What?" she asked self-consciously.

"It was during that time that I saw something that I hadn't expected to see," he answered with a soft smile. Peach blushed harder and looked away. "I saw a personality… deep. Deep. Deep. Deeeeeeeep down."

Peach scoffed and glared at him. She sat straighter and stuck her nose in the air. "I have always had a personality."

"Not when you were a Princess," Bowser muttered under his breath.

She gawked at him incredulously. "I'm still…! I make a perfectly good and charming princess!" Peach argued with frustration.

"Yes, yes…. Paaafectly Chaaaming," Bowser mocked her with over exaggerated formal diction.

She puffed and pouted, crossing her arms in frustration.

Bowser smiled and leaned forward to get her attention. "As a princess, you are cordial and kind, but when you are you… you are probably the most attractive creature in the world."

All of a sudden, Peach didn't like where this conversation was going. She searched for the right thing to say in order to change the subject until another question popped up.

"So… if you didn't like me at first,  _when_  did you start…?"

"It's my turn… BUT I like talking about you, so I'll answer. Just don't forget how many questions you owe me," Bowser winked at her. Peach only nodded. She had forgotten about the game entirely.

"I'm not sure if there was a specific point in time," Bowser began to answer. "But if I had to choose one instance, it would be when I heard you snort and curse in your sleep."

"I did not!" Peach covered her face with her hands as her face turned beet red.

"Ohhhhh-ho, yes you did!" Bowser grinned impishly.

Peach looked at him through a space in her fingers, "What… did I say?"

"...Are you giving me permission to say it?" Bowser answered with a knowing smirk.

"No!" Peach exclaimed, bringing her hands off of her face. "That's enough! I won't listen to another word of this nonsense. It's your turn!"

"Alright. Truth or Dare?" Bowser asked, leaning casually against a tree.

"Truth, of course," Peach answered.

"Who was your first crush?" Bowser asked.

"Mario, obviously," Peach answered quickly.

"Have you ever liked anyone else? Even for a moment." Bowser asked.

_"Yes."_

Peach pushed the thought out of her head. "I uhhh… I guess? I meet a lot of different people, so it is inevitable to find people I think are cute or attractive. But Mario has always been… the only person I primarily thought about."

"Huh. Who else did you  _think_  about?" Bowser looked at her curiously.

_"Bowser."_

_"No. no. no. no. no. Absolutely not. Get yourself together, Peach!"_  she chided herself silently. Her stomach flopped and her cheeks betrayed her with a blush. "Dare. I choose Dare instead."

Bowser opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself and stared at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Fine, let me think of something," Bowser muttered. He smirked when an idea came to his head.

"I want you to eat…" he picked up something from the ground, "…this bug."

Peach's gag reflex almost kicked in. It was a large black beetle.

"Just this once, I'll let you off if you answer the question," Bowser stated with a mischievous grin.

Peach cringed as he held it close to her. Her face had mortification written all over it.

Bowser smiled to himself. She sooooo wasn't going to eat the bug. Whatever she was hiding wasn't worth it….

"Okay," Peach stated confidently.

Bowser almost choked on his surprise. "You sure? Because this beetle is pretty gnarly looking…"

"Give me the bug, Bowser," Peach demanded. Bowser handed it to her and watched as she took it between her fingers. Peach shivered as the bug crawled on her hands. She got up from the ground, took a stick from the pile of firewood that Bowser had gathered.

"What are you doing?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Cooking it," Peach said with a smile. "You told me I had to eat it, but you didn't tell me  _how_  I had to eat it." Within a few minutes, Peach had completely charred the bug to the point that it looked like nothing but a pile of soot.

"That… is so not fair," Bowser grumbled as she took the black lump of ash and ate it.

"Okay. You have one more question," Peach told him. "After that, the game ends and we go to bed."

"Alright… Wait a sec while I think of a good one," Bowser sighed as got up from his spot by the tree. He took a few logs and started adding them to the fire.

...Cue Music...

Peach made her way back over to her spot in the grass and sat down. Bowser watched her for a moment as she looked at the sky. She noticed he had gone quiet, but she forced herself to keep her eyes focused on the stars. A minute felt like an hour as she sat with her hands tangled in the long blades of grass.

After he added more wood to the campfire, he lumbered over and laid down beside her legs with his head resting on his arms. Both of them looked at the stars for a few more minutes. They had both been quiet for so long that the silence had become rather comfortable. The playful atmosphere had been completely swallowed up by something else entirely.

_"Romantic."_

Peach pretended to swat a mosquito as she shook her head to clear her thoughts again.

"Truth or Dare?" Bowser asked as he watched the sky. "Choose wisely, Princess. No take backs, no mercy for the Dare, and you will get a penalty if you refuse to do either the Truth or Dare."

"Truth," Peach said decidedly, looking at Bowser expectantly.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "Who else attracted your eye?"

She felt a tinge of relief when she realized she could work around his question. "Well, there was this old Toad how wore this really bright green lipstick…" Peach smiled.

Something in Bowser's demeanor changed as she spoke. She looked away for a moment as the hair on her arms began to stand up. She heard him shift and her arm began to grow warmer. Despite her better judgment, curiosity won her over and she looked.

A pair of red luminescent eyes captured her. She couldn't look away. Her head began to swim when he leaned ever so slightly forward.

"… _D'un doutz baizar de fin' amor coral…"_

Peach flinched. The words of an old song penetrated her mind.

"Penalty."

She blinked. "What?"

"Penalty," Bowser repeated. With a sigh, he laid down and rested his head on her lap. Before she could figure out how to react, he took her hand and placed it on the top of his head. "Ten minutes."

"But I answered your…" Peach began to protest and took her hand off of his head.

"You chose not to answer honestly. Penalty," he took her hand and laid it back on his head.

Peach made a face and patted his head awkwardly. Bowser closed his eyes and let out a long content breath. Something about his action made Peach's tension start to melt away.

She pursed her lips and looked away from him as she ran her hands over his hair reluctantly. It was softer than she had expected. She frowned a little as her hands snagged on a particularly tough knot. Her fingers worked through it carefully and continued smoothing his hair one lock at a time.

"Mmmph…" Bowser grumbled. Peach's hands stopped and her shoulders tensed as one of his arms wrapped around her waist and the other around her legs. He pulled her closer and nestled his face into her lap.

She almost chastised him for his imprudence until he began to snore lightly. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

He looked so peaceful this way.

_"Be sai la noih, can me despolh,_

_El leih qu'eu no dormirai re."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Indirect translation:
> 
> "…D'un doutz baizar de fin' amor coral…"
> 
> With a sweet kiss of love heart-true,
> 
>  
> 
> "Be sai la noih, can me despolh,
> 
> El leih qu'eu no dormirai re."
> 
> I know when I retire at night,
> 
> That I shall barely sleep a wink.
> 
> ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG OR ANY MUSIC SHARED UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ


	17. The Worried Servant

Peach avidly watched the road as she drove and Bowser kept a sharp eye on the map. She was getting impatient and he was starting to get restless.

"According to the map, we should turn left but there is no road," Bowser stated with frustration. Peach took the map and studied it carefully.

"I have an idea," she said, getting off the Kart to walk across the road. As she walked forward, she started to dance around with her arms lifted above her head. Bowser watched her quizzically until a cloud with a question mark appeared just above her head.

"Well, well…" Bowser growled as he got off the Kart to take a closer look.

"I don't have anything to hit it with…" Peach said. "Bowser, could you maybe burn it or something, please?" With a small nod, he merely poked it with his index claw.

*pop*

A long road appeared in front of them.

"You know, Princess, your urgent business is starting to look a little more dangerous. Sure you don't want to tell me what's going on?" Bowser asked thoughtfully.

"Huh? No, this is probably just a prank for tourists or something," Peach said flippantly as she got behind the wheel of the Koopa King Kart.

"Yeah, uhuh. Totally buying it. Next time, at least tell me something more believable like, 'Ganondorf dyes his hair' or 'Luigi takes ballet lessons'," Bowser remarked dryly.

"You can believe what you want but…" Peach began to reason.

"Peach, you and me both know that only formidable magic users, like my myself, can hide a road this size with a puny little question mark cloud."

"As I said, believe what you want," she stated as she drove down the newly discovered road. Of all of the people she had to get stuck with on this journey, it had to be Bowser... The one person that should be as far away from her and Kamella as possible. He also happened to be one of the nosiest people she knew.  _"As soon as we make it to Sarasaland Castle he needs to go home. The more he knows, the harder my job will be to keep him out of this."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few more question mark clouds hid their route, but within three hours later the Sarasaland Castle was finally in sight.

"Alright, Princess. I think we are close enough," Bowser stated with satisfaction as Sarasaland's main transportation service came into view.

Peach looked back at him in confusion, "What do you mean? My business is inside the castle."

"Exactly.  _Your_  business is in the castle and I have enough meetings of my own. Besides, I hear the princess of Sarasaland isn't exactly fond of me. I'm affiliated with an incredibly sexy man that keeps running off with her  _unbelievably_  attractive cousin," Bowser winked at her and grinned. "Oh, and you can keep the Kart." Before she could answer, he jumped off of the Kart and landed on all fours, claws creating sparks on the stone road.

The princess looked in the rearview mirrors to see him stand up and wave at her before the buildings hid him from view. He had really let her go. Not only that, he helped her leave.

" _Daisy, I hope you're ready to talk because I've got more than enough to tell you."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Sarasaland Castle was unusually tranquil when Princess Peach began walking up the steps to the front door. She was back! It had been so long since she had been able to visit her beloved cousin! She knocked, took a breath, and stood proudly. The doors opened and a shaky little Toad servant came to the door. "P-p-princess Peach… It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Toadington and it is my honor to serve you. W-what is it that brings you here?" he stuttered nervously.

"I am here to meet with Princess Daisy," Peach answered politely.

"Ahhh… W-well I am sorry to say that she isn't home. She left on official b-business today," Toadington stated.

"Daisy didn't tell me she was leaving…" Peach said with a hint of suspicion.

"I'm s-sorry but she will be gone for the whole week," Toadington answered.

"I guess it can't be helped. Could I at least come in and write her a letter?" she asked with a polite smile.

"Uhhhh... Yes! We will get you a paper and pen right away!" he stated, opening the door for her and seating her in the guest lounge. "Would you like a cup of tea, your Highness?"

"Why yes. That would be lovely," she answered happily.

The Toadington crossed the room and gave her order to a maid who left in a hurry. Peach knew something was wrong. The servants were far too nervous and they were obviously trying to keep her as far away from Daisy's room as possible.

Within the next few minutes, Peach was given tea and multiple selections of writing utensils. Even though his job was technically done, Toadington didn't leave the room.

"Thank you for your service," Peach said as she stood up and moved to leave the room.

"Oh uh, I can take the letter. I will make sure to put it in the priority mail for when Daisy comes back," Toadington stated.

"Oh, you are too kind, but I can take it myself," Peach answered casually as she slipped out the door and made her way to the other side of the castle and up the stairs.

"N-n-no, I insist! I am going there anyway," the servant insisted in a more desperate tone.

Peach dropped the letter by Toadington's feet and bent down to pick it up. "Is Daisy safe?" she whispered to him.

The Toad's face paled a little but he nodded slightly as she stood back up. "It really isn't hard for me to take the letter to my cousin's room. Don't worry, I will be right back." Toadington tried to stop her but she began rushing up the stairs in spite of his protests.

Peach couldn't waste any more time. Even though Toadington had told her Daisy was safe, she wanted to check if Daisy had really left. Maybe she was still here somewhere! Daisy could be in real trouble and she refused to let what happened to Mario happen to someone else.

Finally coming to Daisy's door, Peach carefully put her ear to the door and knocked. There was no sound or movement. Quietly, Peach turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. No one was there and the room looked clean. "Maybe she really did leave," Peach muttered to herself. Just to make sure, she dialed Daisy's number and looked through her wardrobe.

The phone continued to ring until it reached voicemail. There were about five of Daisy's favorite outfits missing and her makeup wasn't in any of the places she usually put them. All signs led to Daisy being gone but Peach called her cell phone one more time just for good measure. The call still went to voicemail and she had no other option but to take Toadington's word

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser stood at the front doors of the Sarasaland's Warp Pipe Station. Everything in him screamed to go back, take Peach with him, and keep her safe in the Dark Lands, but he had given her the freedom to come and go as she pleased. Going back on his word would only prove that he really was the coward she saw him as.

_"You are nothing but a bully and a coward who takes advantage of others so he can reach for something that he never had any hope of getting…"_

"No. I will let her go and show her I am different," Bowser grumbled as he stood in line. Every Goomba and his mother were here but Bowser didn't cut in line or push people aside. Instead, he dutifully waited his turn until he stood in front of the warp pipe that was labeled "Dark Lands". He walked up to the warp pipe and looked around one more time, just in case a blonde in a pink dress had shown up. Seeing no sign of his princess, he jumped in.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Princess Peach had reached a dead end. Daisy and Luigi were gone and her long journey to Sarasaland had proven useless. She was sure Kamella had misled her and Bowser because there was something she didn't want Peach to find. Or maybe she was just buying time until she could cover something up. Either way, Kamella kept her away for a reason and now Peach was leaving Sarasaland castle empty-handed.

As she was about to walk out of the front doors of the castle, she looked back at Toadington and asked, "Where did you say Daisy left for again?"

He brought his gloomy eyes up to hers and answered, "I didn't say," he said, obviously holding something back.

Peach knew the chances of him telling her where Daisy was were slim, so she ignored his secrecy. "Thank you, Toadington," Peach said meaningfully. "It worried me when Daisy didn't tell me that she left and I acted impulsively. I know you have a duty to the crown and you all do your best to protect it. You have always kept Daisy safe. Please forgive me for acting rudely and dragging you around the castle as I did." She put her hand on the Toad's shoulder and smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry too much. It's not my place to complain or to do anything other than what I am asked to do by our Princess. I do, however, regret that I could not help you further. I know how much you care for our Princess Daisy and we couldn't be more grateful, but I can assure you that Daisy and Luigi are safe… We would never allow any harm to befall them within these walls," Toadington told her, waving his hand dismissively.

On the back of his hand was written, "Pauline."

Peach locked eyes with him and he gave her a small smile. She had gotten his message and, with a nod, she stepped beyond the Sarasaland doors. As she made her way back to the Koopa King Kart, Toadington sighed and closed the doors as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

"You know you're going to pay for that," a menacing voice said behind him.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Toadington stated defiantly, turning around to look at the purple Magikoopa.

" _We would never allow anything to befall them within these walls_ ," Kamella mocked, as she walked closer to him. "I am not an idiot. I know what 'dropping a hint' looks like and you didn't do it very subtly."

"Yes well, the Princess left the castle. Isn't that what you wanted?" he defended.

"There are a lot of things a woman wants, like respect and… obedience," Kamella stated. "But maybe if I make an example of you, I can get a little of both," an evil grin made its way across her face as she spoke. Kamella raised her wand with a cackle and before Toadington could run, his world went black. The last sound he heard was Princess Daisy's voice calling his name.

Kamella laughed as she turned to Daisy who ran out behind the corner.

"Murder! Why?! Peach is gone and we didn't tell her anything! We did everything you asked!" Daisy screamed furiously. Luigi stood next to her and pulled her back as she tried to go after the Magikoopa.

"I would suggest that you calm down, your Majesty. After all, I am pretty sure  _he_  is just as expendable as your little errand boy," Kamella threatened as she pointed her wand at Luigi.

Daisy balled her fists and glared at Kamella but kept her mouth shut.

"Good girl. Now… if I hear that you contact or even so much as breathe in Princess Peach's direction, your little lover boy will lose his life. Capisce?" Kamella explained calmly.

Clenching her teeth, Daisy hung her head but glanced at Luigi and nodded her agreement.

"Great! Also, make sure no one else finds out about this when they all wake up from my spell. I'm sure you don't want to have to replace more than one servant." Kamella laughed as she waved her wand and disappeared along with Toadington's body.

 _"Granted, Peach left the castle, but knowledge is power and I want her to have as little of it as possible,"_  Kamella thought to herself as she rode off on her broom.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

**Outside the Sarasaland Castle**

Peach knew that Daisy and Luigi were still in the castle but she trusted Toadington when he said they were safe. She knew that Kamella had something to do with their disappearance but she also knew that she wouldn't harm either of them. Daisy was the Princess of Sarasaland and Luigi was her love interest. Hurting them would only create bigger problems for Kamella in the long run. If anything, Daisy and Luigi were in more danger while she was there. The more she pressed for information, the more Kamella would push back against her.

Praying to the stars that she was right, Peach left the Sarasaland Castle and headed for the Sarasaland Hotel. The Mushroom Kingdom would have to wait.


	18. A Pretty Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-Optional Music Suggestion: Jump up, Super Star (Official Itunes Release)
> 
> I'll let you know when to play it :)

**Two days later**

Peach had to admit the Koopa King Kart was starting to grow on her. Something about the deep roar of the engine made her feel good. She almost wished she didn't have to give it back to its rightful owner - not that she would tell him that…

The only downfall of having the Koop King Kart was the attention it brought to her. Though she had stayed in the hotel for two days straight, the Sarasaland News was on the first floor of the Hotel waiting to get a glimpse of the Mushroom Kingdom Princess herself. It is safe to say that she had been ordering room service since she had gotten there.

The only time Peach ventured out of her room was for a disguise. Luckily for her, the hotel was massive and held a few shops on the first floor. With the help of the hotel staff, the first floor was cleared for the princess's use. The only people that were allowed to stay were the employees and a handful of security Goombas. Even then, she had to be wary. Reporters did everything they could to take pictures of her through the front doors and windows.

Finally, Friday night was here and she had bought a whole new outfit just for tonight's event. She wore a black strapless dress with a slit all the way up to her thigh. Her makeup was bold, hair straightened, and she used temporary hair spray to color her bright blonde hair to platinum with a hint of pink.

"Alright! I think that will do very nicely," Peach said, as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She had never intentionally changed her look to fool anyone. She always wore something pink and never died her signature blonde hair. As long as she left the hotel from the back where there were fewer photographers and news reporters, she would most likely slip by without any issues. Or at least that is what she told herself while she made her way down the stairs at the back of the hotel. In reality, if anyone found out that THE Princess Peach had disguised herself and attempted to leave the Sarasaland Hotel in secret, it would be a worldwide scandal.

Peach walked out the back doors as casually as she could. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she placed her hand on the handle of the EXIT and opened it.

There was absolutely no one there!

Little did the princess know, an attention seeking Goomba with a Peach wig and pink dress had hopped down to the first floor of the hotel where the main group of news reporters had been camping out for days. It was the perfect distraction. Even the reporters and photographers at the back of the building went running to the front of the Hotel to see what all of the commotion was about.

With a shrug, the real Princess Peach continued to walk down the street on her own. She would have taken the Koopa King Kart but it would have drawn too much attention and her destination was only a five-minute walk down the street. She could already hear music coming from the massive block party that was being held outside of Sarasaland's Jazz Club.

A whole intersection had been blocked off and completely filled with people. Lights were flashing, food could be smelled from all of the surrounding shops, and the ground almost seemed to vibrate as the audience danced to the music being performed. In the very middle of it was a large stage where a band and a beautiful woman wearing a red dress sung their hearts out.

*Music*

As Peach pushed through the crowd to get a little closer, she watched Pauline eagerly. Peach had always seen posters of the singer and small news articles about how she came from New York (an island in some world called 'America'?) where she was a mayor. Pauline had been abducted and brought here by Donkey Kong. Mario, of course, saved her and put a stop to Donkey Kong's plots to keep her as his wife.

"So this is the girl Mario used to save," Peach mused. "She is a lot prettier than Mario had described..." She had to admit, the woman had an awesome figure and a strong confidence about her. Pauline had a very mature and slender face. Peach touched her own face and frowned.

The princess bit her lip and cursed herself quietly. "Mario is gone and I'm jealous of some girl he hardly ever talked about? Pull yourself together, Peach…" Shaking her head, she made her way to a nearby ice cream stand and ate while she tried to enjoy the performance.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

By midnight, the last song ended and Pauline thanked the crowd before walking to the back of the stage.

 _"This is my chance,"_  Peach thought excitedly. Getting up from her seat, she pushed her way past the crowd until she came to a chain-linked fence with a Koopa guard standing in front of it.

"Sorry, Lady. The show's over and we are fresh out of signed posters," one of the Koopas stated.

"I am here to see Pauline on behalf of Princess Peach," Peach answered.

"Yeah? Well, that's a new one. Tell me, what does good ole Princess Peach have to say to Pauline?" the Koopa laughed.

Peach looked behind him and locked eyes with Pauline as she passed by. "Super Star. Princess Peach wants a personal performance of it at the Mushroom Castle."

Pauline's eyes widened and Pauline's step faltered as she looked at Peach. After a moment, the woman gathered herself back up and tapped on the Koopa guard's shoulder.

"Let her in. It is not every day that you get to meet with the Princess' officials," she said jokingly with a wink.

The Koopa snickered, "If you say so, Miss Pauline." He stepped aside and opened the linked fence. As Peach walked in, Pauline walked towards her personal limo parked behind the stage and motioned for Peach to get inside. Once they were both in, Pauline knocked a rhythm on the tinted window near the driver's seat and the limo took off down the road.

"Pauline, I am…" Peach started.

"I know who you are," Pauline cut her off with a knowing smile. "Luigi called me days ago about our mutual friend. I have also been keeping up with the news." Taking a newspaper from the seat beside her, she handed it to Peach.

The headline read:

_Princess Peach Sighted with King Bowser near Sarasaland Hotel! Secret Fling After Mario's Brutal Breakup?!_

"Bowser was nowhere near the Sarasaland Hotel when I went there..." Peach stated incredulously.  _"Then again, I guess I was driving his personal Kart,"_ she thought.

"Peach, I don't know what is going on, but I know what happened to Mario. I'll even prove it when we arrive at my home," Pauline whispered eagerly. "We should be there in a few minutes but I want you to promise me something." Peach leaned forward to listen closer. "Promise me that you won't freak out. I promise I didn't do anything to conspire against you. Really, the whole thing was quite a shock and everything kind of happened by mistake."

"I can't quite promise that but I can promise that I will do my best to keep a level head," Peach agreed.

"That's good enough," Pauline said as she bit her lip. The limo stopped in front of a beautiful white Ranch style house that was surrounded by flowers and trees. Both of the girls got out, thanked the driver with hefty tip, and made their way to the front door.

"As I said, I had nothing to do with this and it is not what it looks like. Everything was an accident and we will explain everything," Pauline said, trying to sound reassuring.

Peach nodded and Pauline opened the door.

Peach gasped in shock,

"What. The. Hell."


	19. Story Telling

Peach nodded and Pauline opened the door.

The Princess gasped in shock, "What. The. Hell."

Before her eyes stood the very thing she had been dreaming about every night for months – a short little man with a bowl in his hands and a mouth full of pasta.

Just standing there.

He stared at them with guilty eyes as if he had just been caught whizzing in the pool. Very much alive.

NOT DEAD?

"Mario?! You're alive?! How… Where have you…." Peach wobbled a little and took a few deep breaths. "Pauline…. What the hell is going on?"

"Well, you see... Mario kind of just popped up a few months ago…" Pauline said as she leaned away from the Princess's reaction.

Mario swallowed his pasta and spoke, "Pauline, no one is supposed to know I'm here! If Princess Peach found out, we would all be in allota trouble!"

Pauline paled and Peach turned her head slowly to look at him with pure fury in her eyes. All these years they had been together, gone on adventures, had picnics, cute little dates, and extravagant parties, yet he couldn't recognize her face let alone her voice or… anything else?

"I. Am. The Princess," she said as she bore her eyes into his soul.

Mario gulped and shook under her burning hot stare. "Haha… Peach… I thought you were at home… in your castle…"

"Huh. And I thought you were dead," Peach seethed. She turned her glare back to Pauline who had tried to tiptoe her way around the front of the house while Peach was distracted. "You," Peach pointed at Pauline. "You damn well better start explaining or both of you will REALLY be dead this time."

Pauline halted and turned around to meet Peach's glare with a guilty look on her face. "Okay… Come on in and we will talk."

In a few minutes, both Pauline and Mario were sitting on the living room couch together while Peach sat in front of them on a wooden kitchen chair.

Mario scratched his head and asked, "So uh… where do you want us to start?"

"The beginning," Peach said curtly. Mario winced when both Pauline and Peach watched him with searching eyes.

"Okay. I'll explain everything, but some of it is still a little fuzzy," Mario explained.

Peach was about to accuse him of holding back, but Pauline stopped her.

"Princess, what Mario is saying is true. I found him stranded in the middle of nowhere months ago. Honestly, if my limo driver hadn't taken the wrong road in the Muda Kingdom, Mario might never have been found. To make things worse, he had no memory at all. He didn't even remember his own name, Peach. It took him until last month to remember pieces of what happened to him," Pauline explained. Peach nodded slowly as she listened.

"It's true Peach. I think I remember most of what happened but I may not be able to answer all of your questions yet," Mario added.

"I understand. I will reserve most of my questions for after your explanation then," Peach said considerately.

"Okey-dokey…" Mario said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It all started with that Koopa named... Catchy? Klamy?" Mario said, searching for the name that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Kamella!" Peach said excitedly.

"Yes! It all started when that Kamella Koopa showed up while Luigi and I were plumbing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"Heya, Mario? Can you hand me the wrench?" Luigi asked as he worked on the bathroom sink._

_"Alrighty," Mario answered and quickly carried a box of tools into their customer's bathroom._

_"Wow… you really are plumbers! I thought you only got that nickname because you travel by warp pipe. This is fantastic!" a purple robed Magikoopa laughed heartily as she stood in the bathroom doorway._

_"Well, an adventurer needs to eat too," Mario chuckled. A lot of people joked about that. He may have saved the princess a few times, but he was an honest worker who didn't like living on borrowed money. He only did what was right and the Princess owed him nothing for it._

_"That is understandable. My name is Kamella Koopa and I have a proposition for both of you regarding Princess Peach," Kamella said, cutting straight to the chase._

_"Huh? Is she in trouble?" Luigi asked quickly._

_"No, no, no! Of course not. I just wanted to ask if either of you wanted to become a part of a group called_ The League of Investors _. The League of Investors is a group of leaders who have invested in a prosperous future for both the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands and see Bowser's love for the Princess as a threat to that future," Kamella explained. The brothers nodded quietly. "This is a special society where people who care about the Princess's well being get to form alliances with others to make her future more secure."_

_"Well, that sounds a lot like the group of friends we have now!" Luigi said happily as Mario nodded in agreement._

_"Yes! It is a lot like that, but we meet often and find ways to keep Bowser away from Peach and stop him from bothering the Mushroom Kingdom with his schemes. We try to prevent bad things from happening," the MagiKoopa continued. "It is also a closed society so no one knows about us except the people who are in it or have been invited to it."_

_"Does the Princess know about it?" Luigi asked curiously._

_"No. But that's because Bowser would eventually find out about it if she knew," Kamella stated._

_"I don't know… That sounds kind of…." Luigi started._

_"Where do we sign up?" Mario said confidently, cutting Luigi off._

_"Wonderful! All you have to do is accept this special phone and come to the weekly meetings," Kamella explained as she handed Mario a red cell phone. "If an emergency comes up, you can be contacted anywhere and updated immediately if anything important changes."_

_Mario looked at it curiously while Luigi watched with speculation. Yes, Mario was a hero because he charged forward without fear but that could also be a fault. Luigi may be a coward but he second-guessed everything he did and thought things through without rushing in. And besides, didn't most MagiKoopas work for Bowser? What motive did she have to work against the Koopa King?_

_"I accept!" Mario stated definitely._

_"I… will think about it," Luigi said. Kamella wasn't exactly happy about Luigi's answer but Mario's approval was enough for now._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Mario! You were apart of the League?!" Peach glared accusingly.

"Hey! It sounded good at the time!" Mario defended.

Peach groaned, "Everyone hates Bowser  _so much_ …" She raged, "'Look! The  _big bad Koopa_  is going to kidnap the Princess, again!  _Oh my!_  I have a great idea! Let's tie her down and gag her because that will fix EVERYTHING!"

Mario, a little surprised by Peach's rant, was about to ask her to explain but then decided against it and continued, "Anyhow…."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Once Kamella left, the Mario brothers finished their job and started heading home._

_"Mario, are you seriously joining that group?" Luigi asked with concern._

_"Why not?" Mario answered with a shrug. He had been fighting Bowser for years. Maybe this is a good way to end the kidnappings._

_"I don't know, Mario," Luigi said with a doubtful look on his face. "A secret society made to protect the Princess from Bowser and she doesn't even know about it? It gives my mustache the twitches."_

_Mario shook his head, "Your mustache always twitches. Besides, if it is a weird group I'll leave and continue doing what I have always been doing."_

_"Rushing into danger and tearing all of your work pants?" Luigi asked dryly._

_"Saving the Princess and defeating evil!" Mario yelled victoriously._

_"Fine. But be careful Mario. There are a lot of weird people out there who are always looking for an excuse to meddle in other people's lives," Luigi explained._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_The first League of Investors meeting was on a Thursday evening in a random bar on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario showed up early but soon found himself surrounded by all sorts of people. The bar was supposed to be closed but a bartender was still there and all the rectangle tables had been linked together to make one long table. Yoshis, Goombas, Mushrooms, Koopas, Dry Bones, Shy Guys, Boos, and all sorts of different people filled the whole table._

_Everyone at the table was happy to see Mario. All of them welcomed him to the group and congratulated him for being invited to the League._

_"Hello, everyone! As you can see we have a new addition to the League. It truly is an honor to have the great Mario supporting our cause," Kamella declared as she entered the room. The whole group clapped enthusiastically with some occasional whistles and shouts. "Since Mario is new, I would like to go over some of what we have covered before so he knows the gist of what we are working with."_

_"Mario," Kamella called his attention and continued, "As I am sure you have guessed, some of the Investors are citizens of the Dark Lands and others are from both the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland. There are even some from other major kingdoms that expressed great interest in the happenings between Bowser and Peach." The people in the room hissed. "You see, none of us like that Bowser has so much interest in the Princess. Some don't like it because it is terrible politics, others don't like the problems it brings to their kingdoms, but everyone agrees that everything would be better if Bowser and Peach were kept separate." The crowd around the table hummed in agreement while Mario nodded his head thoughtfully._

_"We have all come together for one cause: to promote peace and stability. It has been proven time and time again that neither of these two things can be had when Peach and Bowser are around each other. Wouldn't you agree, Mario?" Kamella asked. Mario nodded. "Then you are a part of the Investors whether you choose to stay or not. Our goal is the same as yours. Keep the Princess from the influence of Bowser and vice versa!" The table cheered and raised their glasses as Kamella said, "A toast, to our new member, Mario! And may he never have to save the Princess again!"_

_Mario was in his glory. This was his ticket to keeping the Princess safe and helping the Mushroom Kingdom remain unmolested by Bowser. Raising his glass, he drank and enjoyed the company of his new friends._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Two weeks went by and everything was going well in the League. Most of the time, members would just talk about how they didn't want Peach and Bowser near each other, but there were some times when someone would catch wind of what Bowser or Peach was up to. By the third week, Mario heard a rumor from a Boo that Bowser would be kidnapping the Princess again sometime soon. It was only a rumor but it put everyone in the group in an antsy mood._

_The fourth week was when things got somewhat out of control._

_"Can I have all your attention, please?" Kamella shouted down the table. "There is a rumor going around that Bowser is going to kidnap the Princess again." The group went quiet as she spoke. "This rumor has been proven true and it will happen within the next month." The table of League members shouted in protest and Mario shook his head. "Though this is discouraging news, I have a plan. I don't have all of the details yet, but I need some help from you all to make it work." Each person at the table nodded in agreement._

_"As you can see Bowser's misguided love for Peach has caused a lot of trouble, but could you imagine what would happen if she ended up gaining some misguided feelings for him?" Kamella asked. Mario shook his head disagreeably and the rest of the table booed. "Bowser is in love with Peach and he really believes that she will eventually love him back. Wonder if we took that chance away completely? Would he still kidnap her or try to impress her? Or would Bowser finally be forced to move on?" The whole table whispered and leaned forward listening with heightened interest._

_"I propose that a Magical Oath should be made with the Princess. If Peach promises never to encourage Bowser's love and avoid his romantic advances then we wouldn't have to worry about his influence on her and vice versa. Yes, we would still have to help save her and get her back to her castle but Bowser would eventually have to give up having Peach as his bride and becoming King of the Mushroom Kingdom," Kamella explained._

_Mario nodded once again. He could see the reasoning behind it. It wasn't a bad plan and he knew Peach didn't have any intention of reciprocating Bowser's feelings so it probably wouldn't bother her to make such a promise._

_The vote was unanimous and Kamella adjourned their meeting. The Magikoopa would be visiting the princess that night._


	20. The Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! The big 20! Thanks for reading this far :3 Also, thank you for the feedback! You are all so amazing and I don't deserve any of you!
> 
> By the way... I read my fic from beginning to end again and let me just say... Gahhhhhhh! I AM SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS STORY! :3 :3 :3 (I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do!)

_Kamella called the members of the Investors together the next night so she could update the League on what happened during her meeting with the Princess._

_"Princess Toadstool seemed hesitant with the idea of the Oath so I allowed her 24 hours to think over our proposal. It was odd that she seemed so reluctant to make such an agreement, given her_ supposed _'disdain' for King Bowser… but I think that she will see reason soon," Kamella explained._

_A shy guy in the room raised his hand, "What if her Highness doesn't agree to the Oath?"_

_Kamella shook her head sadly, "Then we may have a crisis on our hands. I don't want to alarm you all before the princess answers, but there are only two reasons why she would disagree to such a request. Princess Toadstool may have been misled to believe that a match between her and Bowser would be beneficial for her kingdom in some way OR... She may have already begun harboring feelings for King Bowser."_

_The crowd gasped and Mario raised his eyebrows in surprise. He knew Peach was smart enough to make her own decisions. The princess was a very sharp-minded woman and she had faithfully helped her father rule the Kingdom with great success. Mario doubted someone could mislead her so easily... But that would also mean that she might really have feelings for the Bowser after all._

"Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention," _Mario thought to himself._

_Mario crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. If Peach really did have feelings for Bowser then that changed everything. After all, Mario had only saved her because Bowser had taken the Princess against her will. However, if Peach's heart had changed then Bowser would smother her with nothing but affection. Mario had known Bowser for years. The Koopa King would never hurt Peach or rip her kingdom away from her. For Bowser, it had always been about Peach. Nothing else._

_Mario was so caught up in his own thoughts that he barely heard the rest of what Kamella said._

_"If she really does disagree with the Oath then it will be even more important for us to take swift action. In other words, we will have to compel her to sign it," the Magikoopa stated gravely._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_At 9 p.m. that night, Mario received a text from Kamella:_

"Emergency Meeting! Be at the bar within the hour."

_Mario got up from his chair at the dinner table and quickly scrambled out the door. Luigi watched him leave in surprise. His brother never got up from the table until after he ate every crumb left on his plate! Luigi had a feeling only Mario's 'League' could get him out the door so quickly._

_"I sure hope you know what you are doing, Mario," Luigi said to himself as he looked out the window._

_As Mario left the house he saw a Parakoopa stuff a big wad of mail into their mailbox and fly away. The mailbox was so full of mail that the lid couldn't shut. Normally, Mario would have left it there but storm clouds were beginning to cover the blue skies. it was going to rain soon._

_"Well, I guess I can take the mail inside the house before I go," Mario shrugged. He took the pile of mail and walked towards the door. A pink letter fell out of his hands as he set the mail just inside the door._

_"Huh… Pink letters are usually from the Princess," Mario muttered to himself._

_Opening it, he read the contents:_

Mario,

A Magikoopa named Kamella is going to try to kill Bowser. I know this is sudden and it doesn't make sense, but I need you to make sure he is protected. I will explain later.

Yours,

Princess Peach

_Mario remembered what Kamella had said at the last League of Investors meeting._

"We will have to compel her to sign it."

_Mario was stunned. Threatening to kill someone to get Peach to make an Oath was going too far and he wouldn't have it. He had to warn the Princess before she made any reckless decisions. Putting the note in his pocket, he took off running for the Mushroom Castle. By the time he could see the castle the sun had gone down. Even worse, he felt like someone was watching him._

_When Mario finally reached the front doors of the castle, he knocked on them loudly. He knew most of the servants would already be in their bedrooms but there had to be someone there who could open the massive doors. As he knocked and waited impatiently he heard a rush of wind above his head._

_*BOOM!*_

_The ground shook and a huge cloud of blue sparks erupted over the entire Mushroom Castle._

"Oh no... Kamella," _Mario thought as he stood in front of the doors. Sensing he was running out of time, he jumped up and punched the doors. They opened a few inches but not enough to get through. On his second try, Mario ran for the doors and punched the door again. This time, they opened just enough that he could squish himself between them._

_"Well, this will make things a lot easier," Kamella said as she flew through the front doors and swerved her broom around to face him. She pulled a little pink letter from her robes and swished it back and forth for Mario to see. "Maybe she'll do as I ask after I destroy you."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"Mario!" Peach called. Hearing his name Mario looked back at his princess and gave her his signature smile with a thumbs up._

_Kamella swung her wand and screamed, "Pay attention when you're about to die, sludge-plunging lowlife!" Sparks and fire burst from her wand flying straight for Mario. He was quick enough to dodge the attacks and even reflect some of them back at her. With another wave, blue sparks two Magikoopa appeared and attacked Mario with a flurry of spells. Mario was bleeding from his cheek from a close call but he fought on without a moment's hesitation._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Then she beat you and she tricked me into thinking you died," Peach finished Mario's tale shortly before he dragged it out much longer.

Mario had begun reenacting the whole fight scene with sound effects and fighting motions. Peach usually allowed him to tell his adventure stories, but Peach had too many questions that she wanted to ask. It also bothered her when Pauline seemed to be far too fascinated by Mario's story.

 _"He is really hot when he talks so passionately…"_  Pauline thought to herself, biting her lip a little.

"Kamella stabbed you and you started bleeding a lot. Do you remember that? How did you survive? I even checked your pulse, but you didn't have one," Peach asked curiously.

"Oh! I was worried about the blood on Mario too! When I found him, he had a pulse but his clothes were soaked in blood. The more I looked over Mario I realized he had no wounds at all. The blood wasn't his. I might even go so far as to say that the blood was fake," Pauline answered.

"And his memory was completely gone when you found him?" Peach asked thoughtfully.

"Yes. Mario remembered nothing at all from his past," Pauline answered confidently.

"So Kamella cast a spell on Mario to make him forget everything and tricked me into thinking he was dead," Peach muttered. "Blue sparks over the castle? That must be the answer as to why no one knew about Mario being gone. It definitely sounds like a sleeping spell. But that still doesn't explain why I was the only one that thought you were dead. Toadsworth was there when I found you... Kamella probably wiped his memory as soon as she realized he was there. I wonder if he remembers anything at all..."

"Toadsworth…" Mario grumbled as he scratched his head. "I vaguely remember the name but I don't remember who that is."

"He is my personal assistant. He is an elderly Toad who worries about everything and has a brown dotted mushroom cap," Peach explained.

"Hmm…," Mario hummed as he tried to remember. He shook his head in frustration.

"Mario, it's okay. You will remember soon. It just takes time," Pauline said trying to soothe him by rubbing his back.

Only then did it dawn on Peach. Pauline was being far too kind to Mario just because he had saved her a few times. There was always some other kind of interest. "Pauline, did Kamella ever try to recruit you?" Peach asked. Pauline's body noticeably tensed.

"No. And even if she had I wouldn't have ever teamed up with her after seeing the state she left Mario in," Pauline stated with disgust, then she met Peach's eyes. "Wait… do you think I am working for Kamella?"

"Kamella took Mario's memory so he wouldn't be in her way. She needed him to stay that way until she got what she wanted. She had to know that he would get his memories back at some point, so leaving him with someone he trusts would make sense," Peach explained calmly.

Pauline glared at Peach but said nothing. She knew Peach had a good point, but Mario would have none of it.

"Don't say that about Pauline," Mario frowned as he got up from his chair. "She saved my life and has been at my side night and day working to help me recover my memories. Even if I had lived after being dumped in the middle of nowhere, I don't think I would have ever remembered nearly as much as I have without her."

Peach was surprised by Mario's reaction. It wasn't every day that he took someone else's words personally. Words always rolled off of him, but apparently Pauline was different. To make things even more clear, Pauline blushed furiously when he defended her.

 _"I guess he remembered everything but me while he was gone,"_  Peach thought sadly. Her heart sunk and multiple feelings began to wrestle in her chest. To think that she had dreamt of Mario and thought about him all those weeks he had been gone. Now, she not only found him alive but also living with another woman that he had told her he wasn't romantically interested in.

"Alright, Mario..." Peach said, trying to sooth the upset plumber. "Pauline, I am sorry for insinuating that you were cooperating with Kamella. However, you can't blame me for being suspicious. Truth has been alluding me for weeks at every turn and I can't be too cautious anymore," Peach apologized sincerely and Pauline nodded with understanding. Mario sat back down, content with Peach's apology.

"But that also brings me to wonder why you didn't let me know you were alive. Why the secrecy?" Peach asked.

Both Mario and Pauline became nervously silent, meeting each other's eyes briefly. Peach's heart sunk when she saw Pauline begin to fiddle anxiously with a ring on her left hand. Peach couldn't believe she hadn't put it together sooner.

"Peach, I don't know how to tell you this. I know we were kind of a couple before I disappeared… To be honest, I liked you, but I always felt like something wasn't clicking between us. When I lost everything and spent a lot of time with Pauline I found what had been missing and I… kind of…"

"You got married," Peach answered quietly.

"What?! No! I mean… Not yet, but… we are engaged," Mario said, cringing as he waited for the Princess to burst into flames of anger again. Pauline took his hand and cringed with him. Both of them had their eyes to the floor, not daring to look at Peach who sat in silence for a moment.

"Congratulations," Peach said, smiling a little at them. Both of their heads snapped up in surprise. "I mean it. Honestly, I wish I could have been there but I guess that couldn't be helped. Wow! What a shock!" she continued, smiling wider at them. Pauline broke into a smile but Mario looked skeptical.

"Mario, I am serious. I am happy for you! We never had much more going for us other than you saving my kingdom and me being the damsel-in-distress. Please don't feel bad or think that this changes our friendship. We will always be Peach and Mario, but I haven't seen you this happy for a long time and I know Pauline is the cause of that," Peach said with genuine earnestness.

Mario finally smiled back at her and nodded as he looked at Pauline with a twinkle in his eyes. He squeezed her hand. With a huge grin, Pauline got up from the couch and faced Peach.

"I know it may be a little late for this now, but I think it is time to go to bed. Peach, feel free to sleep in as much as you want. I will be sure to make extra food for when you wake up," Pauline said. Peach thanked her and yawned as she looked at the clock. It was 5 a.m.


	21. Coughing Sparks

Pauline and Mario said goodnight to Peach after they showed her to her room. It was small but it worked perfectly as a guest room. There was a window overlooking the backyard garden and the decorations gave the room a homey feeling. But all of the charming details of the room were lost to Peach. The moment Peach closed her door her smile faded and her eyes filled with tears.

Every night before now Peach had relived Mario's death in her dreams. She had prayed to the stars every day, asking them to bring him back so he could save her and tell everyone stories of his heroism when they came back home safely. Peach had regretted not being more romantic towards him. She had wished she would have held his hand more, maybe kissed his cheek at random times, made more pasta for him, or taken him on more dates… but his death had turned out to be a lie. While the princess had been mourning and tearing herself apart over Mario's death, Mario had been doing all of those romantic things with another woman. He had even  _proposed_  to her! Peach's mind swirled and her heart felt like it was tumbling in her chest but it all stopped when she heard a knock at her door.

Wiping her tears she turned towards the door and took a deep breath, "Who is it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"Its-a me," the plumber answered. "Can I come in?"

Peach slowly made her way to the door, cursing herself for not turning on her bedroom light as she stubbed her toe on the leg of the bed. Just before opening the door, she fanned her face with her hands and took a deep breath. When she opened the door she saw Mario with his hat in his hands and sadness in his eyes.

"Hey, Mario. Did I forget something or…?" Peach asked, putting on a smile.

Mario only looked at her. He may not be the smartest man in the world but he could see her red eyes as plain as day. Without saying anything, he stepped forward and hugged her. Peach stood motionless for a moment trying to hold back her tears but soon sunk to the floor, sobbing softly into Mario's shirt.

Once she had reached the end of her crying, Mario brought her face up to his and looked at her earnestly. "Peach, I am sorry for keeping things a secret. I have thought about the pain I have been putting you through every night, but weeks went by before I remembered what happened. By the time I remembered, nothing bad had happened, so I decided to stay low and watch from a distance. Besides, Kamella is dangerous and I couldn't drag Pauline into this," Mario explained with a sigh of regret. Peach opened her mouth to answer, but Mario let go of Peach and walking to her window. She watched him curiously as he opened it and stick his head out.

"Did you come to get your ass kicked again?" Mario said out the window. Before Peach could ask Mario what he was doing, she heard a grunt come from someone else.

"No. I came to hand you yours," a deep voice growled. "Especially since you made Peach cry."

Peach's eyes widened, "Bowser..."

As if hearing her speak his name, the Koopa King stood up, pushed the window further open, and looked at her with a serious look on his face, his crimson eyes burning in the moonlight. Peach stood up from her place on the floor and took a few cautious steps forward.

"What are you doing here?" Peach asked softly, looking between Bowser and Mario.

"I… read that you never made it to the Mushroom Kingdom and disappeared in Sarasaland. I  _loved_  that one article in the Celebrity News magazine where they say that Mario left because he found out you and I were having a secret love affair. They made some reallllly good points and had an awesome picture of us on there," Bowser explained.

"No. I mean… What are you  _doing_  here?" Peach asked, her head filling with worries.  _"How long has he been listening?"_

"I came to make sure you were safe," Bowser stated honestly.

"Mario, how did you know he was there?" Peach turned her eyes to meet Mario's.

"How could I not know? He isn't exactly good at sneaking around. He tiptoes like an elephant kissing an avalanche. It just doesn't happen," Mario stated punching Bowser' shoulder.

"What can I say? My existence is too great to hide!" Bowser laughed, poking Mario's shoulder. Mario only continued to shake his head.

"How long have you been here?" Peach asked, cutting their banter off.

Bowser sighed, "I know you're mad at me for listening without your knowledge… but it's Mario's fault. He didn't stop me."

Mario looked at Bowser incredulously.

"I don't care who is at fault!" Peach groaned, walking forward and locking her angry eyes with Bowser's. She put her hands on the windowsill he was leaning on and brought her face only a couple feet away from him so he wouldn't try to dodge her questions with sarcasm. Bowser only snorted and stared at her with a mischievous smirk on his face. Peach's irritation grew as the daring smile on Bowser's face widened. It infuriated her that he wouldn't take her anger seriously... and he loved it.

"I would take you right now if you weren't so stubborn. But you would resent me for it," Bowser growled through his teeth.

Peach's face went scarlet red and before she thought about it her hand landed across his snout.

*Smack!*

Bowser blinked and he cupped his snout in his claws, "What was that for?!"

"You are so…  _dirty minded!_ " Peach sputtered accusingly.

"What? Oh…... I didn't mean it like that" Bowser stammered as he realized the implications of what he had said. "Wait a second… _I'm_  dirty minded? That's rich coming from little miss 'Flout and Flash'!"

"That… that was an accident and you were the one that looked when I told you not to!" Peach defended as her face grew hotter.

Bowser scoffed and threw up his claws as Peach turned her back on him with a stubborn huff.

"Well… I wish you both the best," Mario said awkwardly as he made his way to the door.

"Mario…" Peach said, a little shocked. Was he really going to leave her here with Bowser? Alone?

"Peach… I think it is best if Bowser takes you back home before Kamella gets any ideas. I don't want to get Pauline deeper into this and I think you can get more answers from Toadsworth. The more you find out, the more you have a chance at beating her," Mario stated. Before Peach could refuse, Mario turned his attention to Bowser, "You better get her home safe." He stared at the Koopa King seriously.

Bowser nodded and extended his hand to Peach. She hesitated but took it. Mario was right. The longer she stayed here, the more danger there was for Pauline. Mario had already lost to Kamella once but this time he could lose more than just his memory.

"Thanks, Mario. Tell Pauline I was sorry to go," Peach said sadly. "Maybe things will work out and I'll be able to go to the wedding…"

Mario stopped, turned to her, and nodded silently. He then quickly exited before his eyes betrayed him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mario walked down the hall to his bedroom door. He sniffled and dabbed the moisture from his eyes.

He was angry with himself for making Peach cry. To be honest, he knew she would be mad but he hadn't really thought that she would get so…  _emotional_  over it. Maybe she had liked him more than he had realized...

(That would be very unfortunate. One of the biggest reasons he had allowed himself to pursue Pauline was because he really had begun to believe that Peach's heart wasn't really his.)

…But a part of him was glad that things had turned out this way. Mario would never tell anyone, but there was one part of his memory that he had left out.

When Kamella said that Peach might already have feelings for Bowser, Mario's heart constricted a little at the thought of Peach having feelings for someone else. He had always thought that he would end up with Peach. But her heart wasn't his just because they had gone on a few dates and shared a few kisses. Truthfully, when Mario left the Investors meeting that night, he literally kicked himself for not being more proactive in their relationship.

Mario did have feelings for Peach back then, but it all changed when Pauline found him. Though he couldn't remember a thing about himself, Pauline remembered a lot about him. She cooked him all of his favorite foods, retold many of his own adventure stories, nursed him back to health single-handedly, and stayed home every day for the first few weeks just so she could spend as much of her time by his side as possible.

Pauline was carefree, open-minded, confident, and strong. Mario started to like her a lot after a couple weeks of staying in her home. Something about her gave him that spark that he only felt during his adventures.

Mario smiled as he shut his bedroom door, jumped on his bed, and smelled Pauline's perfume on his bed sheets. Pauline was the adventure he would never have had if things hadn't gone the way they did.

So despite it all, he was - and would forever be - grateful.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So… wanna get out of here?" Bowser asked.

"I guess that would be for the best," Peach said as he helped her slip out the window.

Bowser watched her, bewitched by her appearance. Since her bedroom light had never been turned on, he hadn't been able to get a good look at her until she stood in the moonlight. Her hair was straight and shined pink and silver under the moon. It almost made her look like she was a character from a fairytale. He liked her blonde hair the most, but  _damn!_  The dress revealed her hourglass figure and the slit on the side of her dress that went up her thigh made the air in Bowser's lungs burn hot.

"Peach... Can I ask you something?" little sparks emitted from his mouth when he talked.

Peach turned to him and met his gaze with her radiant blue eyes.

*…Weeze…*

(He coughed out a few more sparks when he also realized the dress was strapless.)

"I uh…" Bowser chickened out and changed his question. "Which hotel do you prefer around here? There is one right around the corner that seems promising."

"That should be fine. I don't feel like walking very far," Peach answered. She blushed and started walking down the driveway when she realized he was staring at her.

 _"Control yourself, moron,"_  Bowser chided himself. _"It's not like you have never seen her skin before."_

"The hotel is only a five-minute drive away," he said. "Also, I wish you would have told me you were going to dress up tonight. I would have gladly worn a tux." Peach rolled her eyes at him.

"That means it's about a thirty-minute walk to the hotel," Peach said tiredly, ignoring his comment.

"I thought it was  _improper_  for royalty to roll their eyes… Or at least, that's what a  _certain_  princess told me," Bowser chuckled. Peach kept her face blank but he knew he had caught her. A little flicker of pride swelled in his chest when he realized she had gotten that habit from him. "Besides, I had Kamek get me the Koopa King Kart out of the Sarasaland Hotel parking lot."

Peach smiled when she saw the Koopa King Kart sitting just around the corner with the Mini Koopa Kart still strapped to the back. Stopping herself, she faked a frown when she remembered Bowser was watching her reaction. But it was too late.

Bowser chuckled, "Looks like my Kart has grown on you. That's good because _you're_  driving it all the way to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Who said I like it? It is far too big and loud for someone like me," Peach lied. Bowser smirked as they took off down the road.

Five minutes later, both of them walked through the front door of the hotel. Peach was nervous about being seen with Bowser but, lucky for her, the old Toad at the front desk didn't even bother glancing at them more than twice. He merely rung up two rooms, took the money, gave them the packets for their keys, and waved them along grumpily.

"Crazy kids. It's 5:30 a.m. in the morning and they are just getting a room?" the old man grumbled as they left. Bowser handed Peach her key packet for her room and held his own in his claw.

Once they had gotten to the top floor, Bowser came to the door that had the same number as his key packet.

Peach let out a frustrated groan when he stuck his key into the lock and opened the door.

"Bowser, he gave us keys to the same room," Peach pouted. Despite herself, she walked into the room and crashed onto the bed. It was a big bed, obviously made for a large Koopa but she was too tired to care. Her mind was shot, her head hurt, and her eyes were dry from all of her crying.

Bowser grunted tiredly as he watched her curl up on what was supposed to be his bed, "I'll go talk to the old man."

"Ojusseep…" Peach grumbled into her pillow.

"Hm?"

"No. Just sleep... And turn the light off," she grumbled louder.

"Peach… I can't. Don't worry about it and just sleep," Bowser said with uncertainty.

"You're so hard headed," Peach stated groggily.

"You have no idea…" Bowser growled longingly as he watched her drowsy figure laying on the bed in her black dress. This was something he had dreamed about for years but, as much as he wanted to lie by her side, he would never be able to sleep while she looked like that.

"Goodnight, Peach." He turned off the lights and walked out of the hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXTRA: Before Mario had knocked on Peach's door, Bowser had been hiding just under Peach's windowsill as she cried. It upset him to hear her cry. He was actually just about to crawl away and beat the shit out of Mario for making her cry, but he stayed when he heard someone knock on Peach's door.


	22. Kings and Kittens

It was about 3 p.m. when Peach finally woke up the next day. She looked around the room and stretched. Her hair was a silver mess and she felt her dress riding up in places that it shouldn't. Also, by the look of her smudged makeup, she needed a shower.

Within the next hour and a half, the princess felt like a completely different person. She detested the thought of putting on her dress again but it was the only outfit she had with her. This also wasn't a high-end hotel where shopping for another outfit was an option.

Another hour passed by as Peach waited for Bowser to knock on her door but he didn't show. She never did understand how he could sleep for more than twelve hours. Deciding she had let him sleep long enough, she went to the front desk to ask the old man what Bowser's room number was. After answering her and waving her off, the old Toad continued to grumble like he had earlier that day.

Within moments, the princess had found herself at Bowser's door. She knocked lightly the first time but no one came to the door. She knocked much harder the second time but still didn't receive an answer. Peach put her ear up to the door and listened. Nothing. A feeling of dread started to spread through her body.

Had Kamella done something?

Peach quickly pulled a hairpin from her hair and picked the lock. A princess technically shouldn't know how to pick locks, but Peach had watched Toadette do it in the Mushroom Castle when she would accidentally lock herself out of a room. In a moment, the door was unlocked and the princess opened the door. To her relief, Bowser was lying on his massive bed unharmed and unbothered by the noise she had been making.

He was also shell-less.

No shell. Completely bear chested with only a thin blanket covering his… lower body.

Peach gasped.

She had always been told that Koopas were deformed. Her anatomy lessons had taught her about every species but skipped over Koopas almost completely. Other than that, Peach had heard all sorts of different rumors. Some people said Koopas had sharp spikes under their shells or that they had slimy fatty skin that jiggled when they walked. But none of that was true.

In fact, Bowser's upper body was very human besides the yellow skin and some red hair on his stomach and chest. His muscles from front to back were well defined, solid, and nothing short of impressive. His skin looked smooth and soft thanks to the constant protection of his shell, and his back was completely straight. With his shell on, he almost seemed hunched over but there was no evidence that his posture had suffered.

The Princess's blush only grew deeper the longer she looked at him. Had Bowser always been… hot? She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts and decided she had been looking at him for long enough. It was rather rude of her to walk into his room without him being aware of it.

Taking a step backward, Peach stuck her hand out for the door handle, keeping her eyes on Bowser to make sure she didn't wake him… and tripped. The heel of her shoe had caught on the carpet and…

*thud!*

Bowser grunted and rolled himself onto his side with his eyes only half open. Peach sat as motionless as possible as his eyelids slowly closed again.

"Peach…" he mumbled as his mind began to drift back to sleep.

_Wait a second. . . ._

"Peach?" Bowser's eyes snapped open wide and, sure enough, he met her unmistakable blue eyes. He then scrambled to cover himself with his blankets as he quickly rolled out of bed and looked around frantically for his missing shell.

"I uhh… good morning?" he said with nervous confusion.

Peach pushed herself back up off the floor and slightly dusted herself off, "Good morning!... Sorry about walking in like this, I got worried when you didn't answer the door so…" Peach explained, flustered and red-faced.

"No! No… I'm sorry for not answering…" Bowser responded just as flustered as she was. "Could you wait here a minute while I… find my shell?"

"Yeah! Sure! I'll just wait here…" Peach said awkwardly.

Bowser shuffled into the bathroom and shut the door. Peach covered her face with her hands and let out a long breathe.  _"What has gotten into me?"_  she asked herself. After a few moments, she heard the door open and looked up to see Bowser wearing his shell as usual.

"I have a bottle of water in the fridge if you need some," Bowser offered, trying to lift the tension in the room. Peach nodded as she stood uneasily by the door. "I think they have some granola bars here too… They aren't really big enough for me so they are all yours," Bowser continued as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed them off the counter. As he walked, a magazine slipped from the back of his shell and landed on the floor. As quick as the magazine hit the floor, Bowser snatched it up and looked back at Peach with a nervous look on his face.

"What was that?" Peach asked walking towards him, completely forgetting about their awkward encounter. She stood on her tiptoes trying to get a look at the magazine in his claws. He shifted himself to keep it away from her curious gaze.

"Nothing! Just a magazine that they had in the restroom. It's not really worth reading. Super boring and stuff…" Bowser explained, trying to act casual as he moved to drop the magazine down the front of his shell. However, Peach wasn't going to let him get away that easily. She jumped up and took a hold of the magazine before he had fully put it away. Bowser tried to move away but her hand was firmly gripping the magazine.

"Can I see it?" Peach asked with an impish smile as she tried to pull the magazine back out.

"Uh, as I said, it is super boring and kinda pointless," Bowser said, starting to panic as he tried to pull away from her hands.

"Really? What's it about?" Peach asked through gritted teeth as she put both of her hands on the magazine so that he couldn't pull free.

"Ummm… Animals with tails and scientific studies on the difference between fur and hair," Bowser lied.

"That sounds  _realllllly_  interesting to me! I think it would be neat to read about," she said, smiling wider. Bowser only shook his head as he continued to back away from her to break her grip, but his leg hit the foot of the bed.

He lost his balance.

As he fell backward onto the bed, the princess was launched forward onto his chest. Their eyes locked in shock. Bowser went still when he found her face so close to his. He almost cursed himself for putting his shell back on as her body pressed against his armor.

Peach's face grew a little pink when she saw a small smile grow on Bowser's face, but she quickly took advantage of this distraction and pulled the magazine out of his shell. Before he could grab her, she rolled off of him and crawled farther up the bed with the crumpled papers clutched tightly in her hand.

Bowser panicked, "No! Wait! Give it back! Peach, please, I know it looks bad but..."

Peach's eyes went wide as she looked at the magazine, "Bowser... are these...?"

"I know... Okay? It's weird and I try not to look at that stuff very often..." Bowser tried to explain.

"Kittens?" Peach asked. Bowser hung his head. "You hide magazines of kittens in your shell?"

"No! I wasn't  _hiding_  it! I just happened to come across it while I was coming to find you. Someone had thrown it on the ground so I picked it up and forgot to throw it away…?" he explained lamely.

"Soooo they were  _littering_?" Peach she chuckled.

"... yes..." he frowned. The princess looked at him and giggled. Bowser slid off the end of the bed and sat on the floor in defeat.

Feeling a little bad for making fun of him, Peach got off the bed and walked over to him. Putting her hand on his shoulder to steady herself, she bent forward to look at his face. "You know, this can be a very endearing quality."

Bowser brought his head up and looked at her with a sad but hopeful look on his face. Peach blinked a little when his eyes met hers. "Really? You don't think it makes me less manly?" he grumbled.

"Well..." Peach said, looking away from his eyes awkwardly. "No. I don't think so. Some women find little characteristics like this attractive." Bowser nodded slowly as he thought about what she said and then he looked back up at her.

"And which woman are you?" Bowser asked curiously.

"What?" Peach began flipping through the magazine so she had an excuse not to look at him.

"Would you be one of those women who found something like this attractive?" Bowser watched her face. Peach was a master at being composed so he didn't expect much of a reaction.

But she blushed…?

"I… don't think it would hurt or help my opinion of someone," Peach answered simply. She could feel Bowser's eyes studying her face silently for a very long, awkward minute.

Bowser's stomach growled.

"Breakfast time!" he said excitedly as he pushed himself off the bedroom floor. Peach shook her head with a giggle.

"It's almost dinner time now. We might as well go out to eat and travel to the next hotel," Peach corrected him.

"I can have breakfast whenever I like," Bowser argued with pride.

"Then lead the way," Peach answered, carefully avoiding his gaze and the massive grin on his face.

Fresh air would do her good.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Neither one of them were tired when they got to the next hotel. They had only gotten two hours of traveling in before the sun went down and Peach was  _very_  unhappy with the topic Bowser had chosen.

"Peach, I'm sorry but I just really want an explanation for all the things Mario was talking about. I understood the 'League of Pests' and the part about Kamella being an ass, but what did he mean about an Oath? Why did you think he was dead? And why the hell didn't you tell me about any of it?" Bowser asked, getting frustrated as Peach dodged every question.

"Bowser, I already told you that I am not going to tell you anything. Everything has already been taken care of now that I know Mario is okay and everyone else is safe," Peach stated stubbornly. The Koopa King only gave an exasperated sigh as he gave Peach her room key and walked up the hotel stairs behind her.

"If it is really taken care of, then why can't you tell me?" Bowser continued to push.

"Because it isn't important and it's not your problem," Peach answered in frustration.

"So there _is_  still a problem! Peach, I want to help but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong. Kamella has always been a selfish whore, but it sounds like she needs an attitude adjustment..."

Peach stopped in front of her door and fumbled with her key, avoiding his eyes, "Kamella just tricked me to get under my skin. The rest is history. Besides, you can't fix everything for me, Bowser."

"I am the King. I can do  _whatever_  the hell I want  _whenever_  the hell I want. I have no restrictions," Bowser stated stubbornly. "Especially when it comes to protecting you. You know I… care about you, Peach."

Peach made the mistake of looking at him. His gaze was filled with genuine concern and something else she didn't want to think about.

"I know, Bowser," she answered, breaking eye contact with him. The words felt hollow. Some part of her felt a little bad for always having to deflect his feelings like this. He had professed his  _care_  for her many times. Shouldn't he have learned by now? Peach had certainly never encouraged him. Besides, what else could she possibly say to such blind dedication when it wasn't… reciprocated?

Bowser frowned. Her answer was expected, but it wasn't enough. Peach didn't get it. His very existence was at her mercy. Every part of his soul burned for her. It burned almost to the point of making him sick every time she even looked at him. His heart yearned for her to realize how much she meant to him.

"You really don't understand, do you?" Bowser asked, his voice low. The princess glanced at him for a moment, but she had no answer for him.

Something about the look on his face made her feel uncomfortable. His usual disappointment was there, but something else in his eyes made her quiver. Looking away, Peach's hands shook slightly as she held the leftover food from dinner in one hand and turned the key to her room with the other.

"Goodnight, Bowser," she said, a small tremor in her voice. The moment she opened the door, she slipped through as quickly as possible and swung it shut behind her.

*Thud*

The door bounced off of something and creaked open again. Looking back, Peach saw Bowser's yellow claw blocking the door from latching.

"Bowser… I'm not going to go over this again," she stated, but her voice caught in her throat as he opened the door and stepped forward, staring at her with his blistering red eyes. Peach backed away but Bowser stuck out his arm and pinned her to the wall. She closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for him to chew her out. She thought he would yell at her for sure, but instead, she felt his mouth nuzzle her neck gently, almost timidly. She flinched at the touch of his skin but didn't move as he smelled and felt her warmth.

"Peach, I  _care_ about you," Bowser whispered. Her head began to spin at the smell of his breath. Seeing that Peach hadn't pulled away yet, he kissed her neck softly and slowly made his way up her neck to her jaw. From her jaw, he moved to lightly kiss her ear, testing the waters. A shiver ran up her spine every time he kissed her.

 _"Peach,"_  he whispered. He pulled his face away from her ear and cautiously kissed her chin, just slightly brushing her lower lip.

Peach's heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she couldn't hear her thoughts. She couldn't bring herself to use logic as he brushed his lips over hers shyly. She could feel him holding his breath as he carefully laid his lips on hers only for a fraction of a second. Peach opened her eyes just enough to see the features of his face. He was completely focused.

Leaning in again, Bowser continued to hold his breath as he gave her another light kiss but this one lingered. His heart pounded as he pressed his lips against hers a little harder, deepening the kiss. Slowly, he brought his claws to her waste one at a time and allowed himself a small breath as he began to move his lips on her face. Without thinking, Peach momentarily pressed against Bowser. His heart flipped when he felt her lean into him ever so slightly.

But she had made a mistake.

Peach's eyes opened as she felt a spot on her back start to tingle and heat up. She had acted with  _romantic intent_  and, though it was an accidental action, fear pricked her heart as she thought of the Contract she had made.

Bowser felt her stiffen under his grasp and pulled himself out of the kiss. Peach's eyes were open, her face was red, and she looked really flustered. As she looked at him, however, she was surprised to see a look of fear and uncertainty wash over his features. Her heart cracked as she realized he was waiting for her to tear him to pieces for what he had done.

"Peach…?" Bowser asked with a trace of dread in his voice.

"…I need to put my leftover food in the fridge." Peach said nervously, turning her head to avoid his eyes as the heat of his hands on her waist made her face grow darker shades of red.

"Yeah… makes sense… I should probably put mine away too," Bowser stammered, quickly pulling away from her, bringing his hands to his side, and walking out the door to pick up his own plastic box off the hallway floor. He looked back up at her and lifted the box for her to see.

"I guess I should put it in my own room, huh?" Bowser said as he shuffled his feet anxiously.

"Yeah! That's probably a good idea... I'll see you in the morning," Peach said and quickly closed the door.

"Goodnight, Peach..." Bowser whispered.

Peach took a breath as she sat down with her back against the door. Bowser stood on the other side just staring at the room number absentmindedly.

Neither of them moved for a long time.


	23. Voiceless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT
> 
> Semi-optional music suggestion: "I Found," by Amber Run.
> 
> Or "Take On Me," by a-ha. (MTV Unplugged)
> 
> The "Take On Me" slow version is beautiful and so very deep. The words of both songs hit home.
> 
> Youtube has these and you can find them on my playlist. The link is on my profile page :3

"What is wrong with me?" Peach asked herself as she ran her fingers through her hair roughly. Her head whirred in all different directions. She tried with all of her might to think about all of those times Mario had saved her from Bowser. She tried to think about the things that she used to hate Bowser for and the things she loved about Mario.

Peach thought back to the time when Mario had kissed her. It was her first kiss and she remembered how nervous they both were. Mario had finally gotten up enough courage to do it at the end of their third date as he dropped her back off at the Mushroom Castle. Though the kiss was short, it was a very cute and sweet kiss. It made her smile just thinking about Mario's nervous face…

_"Peach, I care about you."_

The princess shook her head when Bowser's voice entered her head and groaned as her stomach began tumbling again. She put her arms around herself and tried to get rid of the feeling that made her sick. "There must have been something wrong with the pasta I ate…" she grumbled.

She got up from the floor and made her way to the sink where she leaned forward and looked at herself in the mirror. Peach could hardly recognize herself. Her hair was still Platinum with pink highlights, the makeup on her face was bold but framed her face perfectly, and the clothes she had bought today were much more modern than she was used to. She wore a pair of dark jeggings, a billowy orange short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of black and white sneakers. Very un-princess-like.

"Maybe that is why Mario chose Pauline over me," the princess whispered. "I have never been anything but a proper princess. I live for patience and politeness, but I was never free and casual like Pauline. She probably has five pairs of these 'jeans' for everyday use while this is the first time I have ever worn them," Peach stated sourly. Balling her fists, she sighed in frustration and glared at herself in the mirror.

All of the plans she had made for herself seemed to have been flushed away now that Mario was engaged to another woman. Once the rest of the world found out Peach would be expected to find another suitor. Even worse, Peach had ( _accidentally!_ ) encouraged Bowser's affection. As much as she would like to forget about the whole thing, she knew she had screwed up.

"I really hope that Bowser doesn't take what happened the wrong way," Peach mumbled to herself.

But for the first time ever, Bowser had a real reason to hope.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next morning, Bowser picked Peach up at her hotel room bright and early. His eyes were filled with excitement when she opened her door and he beamed at her with a childlike grin.

Peach's stomach grew sick again.

"I don't think I have ever seen you smile this early in the morning," Peach yawned with a chuckle. Bowser shrugged and offered his arm to her. She took it immediately, then grimaced to herself. Taking his arm had become a habit she hadn't realize she had developed.

"I guess I had a really good nights rest," he said, watching her from the corner of his eye as they walked to the King Koopa Kart in the parking lot outside the hotel. Peach kept her eyes forward as they walked, hoping her face didn't color. "By the way, it is nice to see your hair color back to normal. I liked the other style but this one has always fit you perfectly."

"Thanks, Bowser," Peach said with a small smile. "It probably only fits me because everyone is used to me wearing it this way. Hairstyle change can be hard to get used to."

"No. You just look really good when you are you," Bowser said. Peach climbed onto the Kart and Bowser took his spot with his back rested on the Mini-Kart.

"What about this outfit? This isn't exactly my usual style," Peach stated as she started the King Koopa Kart engine.

"Well, you look comfortable in it, which is good. You look more like you when you are comfortable with your choices," Bowser answered.

"Dresses aren't exactly comfortable so do I look like me when I wear them?"

Bowser frowned a little and looked at her intently. "Peach, does a dress make a princess?" he asked.

"Not really but in a way…" Peach began.

"No, it is the person, not the accessory. Children are a perfect example of this. A little girl can turn herself into a real-life gladiator with nothing but a frying pan and a long cardboard tube. My point is, you are you and you don't look like you when you aren't being you. Yeah?"

"Makes sense…" Peach stated sarcastically. Bowser just wasn't getting it. She had lost so much because she never changed. She was always the same princess with the same dresses, attitude, and style. A few hours went by in mostly silence as Peach drove.

"By the way, why are you suddenly so concerned about the way you look?" Bowser asked, leaning forward a little as he walked to catch a glimpse of her face. Peach slightly tilted her face away from his prying eyes.

"I just… don't feel good enough the way I am. I only seem to lose things because I never progress or change," Peach said with some bitterness in her voice.

"Mario, huh?" Bowser grunted as he leaned back again.

"That's not… Why would you think this has anything to do with Mario?" Peach asked defensively.

"I know you better than anyone, remember?" Bowser answered with pride. "And you have been moping since I picked you up from his  _fiancé's_  house." The princess tensed a little at the word.

"I haven't been moping…" she said with a grumpy pout.

"I have eight children. I think I know moping when I see it," Bowser stated. Peach tried to object but he continued, "Did you cry?"

"Did I cry when I thought Mario had died? Every day for weeks until I found him," she said definitively, slightly offended that he would even have to ask such a question.

"No, I mean… Did you cry when you saw him again?" Bowser asked, waving off her earlier dramatic explanation.

"I…" Peach began and stopped to think about it.

"From what I remember, you seemed pretty pissed at them," Bowser said with a chuckle. Peach was stunned.

 _"He was there the whole time?"_  she thought to herself.

"I didn't really want to tell you, but I think I was there for most of the fiasco at Pauline's little shack," Bowser said.

"Then why did you constantly ask me to tell you what happened?" Peach asked with some frustration.

"…Because I wanted to know why you didn't make that oath," Bowser answered seriously, sitting up and moving closer to study her as she drove the Koopa King Kart. He could see her ears turn red and her posture stiffened warily.

"Well… I just don't like making those kinds of promises," Peach stated, her heart leaped as she saw the Mushroom Castle come into view. They had almost made it! She just had to cross one more bridge and they would reach the doors in minutes.

"You didn't have any problem making that kind of promise when I covered Mario in shit," Bowser argued.

"I never… An Oath is different. Breaking something like that can ruin the lives of everyone affiliated," Peach said. "Everyone knows to avoid those kinds of things like the plague."

"So you felt there might be a chance of breaking it?" Bowser asked, his voice getting lower as he spoke. Peach shivered as she felt his eyes searching her soul for an answer. This wasn't where she wanted this conversation to go at all.

"Bowser… The whole thing was fishy. Kamella was obviously trying to trick me from the start and…" Peach said, stumbling over her own words. Bowser snatched the wheel of the Kart from her and turned the Kart right as they made it over the bridge.

"Bowser! What are you doing?!" Peach yelled, looking up at him with wide eyes. He didn't respond and he focused on the road with a determined look on his face. Peach had been so close and would have been at the doors of her castle in a couple minutes if Bowser hadn't taken over the Kart.

In just a manner of seconds, Bowser took the Kart down under the bridge to keep it out of sight. The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted from his thoughts at the moment.

As soon as the Kart stopped, Peach slid off the Kart and started making her way back up the side of the bridge Bowser had parked under.

("I Found")

"...Come back with me..." the Koopa King pleaded, not moving to stop her as he stood behind her.

"What?" she asked, turning to look at him in astonishment.

"Come back with me. To my castle… please," Bowser asked eagerly.

"Bowser… You know I can't do that. I need to go home! I have been away for…"

"A week. You have been gone for a week and everything looks fine! Look! The flowers are watered, the spires on the towers are all still intact, and the Toads are probably all singing Kumbaya somewhere in the Castle!  _Please, Peach._ I have never had any actual hope that you would ever love me. My whole kidnapping routine was only to get your attention but…" Bowser trailed off as he looked at her. He extended his claw with some hesitance and brushed her face gently.

"You know I have always loved Mario, Bowser. He was the only one I ever saw for myself since the first time he came to my rescue," Peach said. She pulled away and crossed her arms, trying to subdue the warmth on her face and the flutter of her heart.

"Peach…" he groaned in frustration and looked at her with pleading eyes. "I was there when you found him again. I watched you as you chewed them both out and as Mario held you when you cried. Not even  _one_  of your tears was shed because you were happy he was still alive… You were happy, but even Daisy would have gotten a few tears of joy if she had been the one you had been searching for." Peach shook her head and turned to leave. Bowser grabbed her hand.

"You never loved Mario. I know it and I saw it," Bowser stated determinedly.

"How would you know?" Peach asked angrily.

"If I would have found you after believing you were dead, I would have almost died of happiness knowing you still existed in the same world as me because… I love you, Peach. I have since the first time I saw you comfort my children. You complete the heart that I never knew I had," Bowser said earnestly as he held onto her hand like it was a lifeline.

Peach didn't know what to say. What could she possibly say? Every feeling she had shoved away to protect herself and Bowser was coursing through her veins. His words were what she had been dreading since the day she signed that damn contract. Even worse, the feelings in her heart his words elicited were much stronger than she would have ever imagined. If her heart had the choice, Peach would have taken Bowser up on his offer, but her heart was chained and now she would suffer for allowing things to get out of hand.

The princess dug her nails into the palm of her hands as she forced herself to look into Bowser's eyes. Her sole reason for making that Contract was to protect him. If she really cared for him, she would keep that promise.

"I don't feel the same way. I'm sorry, Bowser but…" Peach began.

"I'm not asking you to love me. Hell, you feeling anything other than hate for me was a loooong shot… but when you let me kiss you, I thought, maybe -  _just maybe -_  I have a chance. Please, Peach… give me a chance to show you how much I have changed. Let me show you that I can give you everything you ever dreamed of and more!" Bowser implored passionately. As he spoke, he pulled her arm gently to bring her closer to him.

"We wouldn't make each other happy. The life I want is peaceful and simple which, by the way, is against the very nature of your existence. We also have so many differences between each other that a relationship would never work," Peach explained fervently as she pried her hands from his claw and took a step back from him. But no amount of distance could save her from the resolve in Bowser's eyes. He wasn't going to give up. As long as he had hope, he would never give up.

"If you're saying the life you want would bore me, then you are wrong. I have never had one boring moment with you. I can  _do_  simple," Bowser explained.

Peach was beginning to become irritated. It was hard enough to lie to him and deny her heart what it wanted. Why couldn't he just accept what she was saying? Did she really have to break his heart to get her point across?

"Bowser.  _We_  aren't compatible. I want a normal life where tea time is at the same time every day. I want a small summer home outside of the Mushroom Castle where I can bake and sit on the front porch to watch the sunset with my husband. I want to have a small wedding and a long honeymoon with no reporters, meetings, problems or plans. I want my husband to read bedtime stories to our children and clean up messes with me! I want to rid my kingdom of war and hate! AND I need stability; a person I can trust who will allow me to rule and lead my people the way I see fit!" Peach argued angrily.

("In My Veins")

"I can do all that. I am terrible at baking and cleaning but I can learn! I would also let you rule! I already have my own kingdom and yours can continue to be separate from mine! It isn't traditional (actually, I'm not sure that has ever been done) but I can do that! Peach, I can do every one of those things!" Bowser stated confidently, pleading for her to hear him. Peach only shook her head in frustration and turned away from him.

Panicking, Bowser put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back around. "I can do all of those things. You know I can give you anything you ask."

"What about human children?" Peach asked bluntly. Bowser's eyes went wide and his heart cracked. She looked up at him with icy blue eyes and he stayed quiet. "That's what I thought."

Peach took his hand off of her shoulder and took a step forward to leave.

Bowser whispered.

"What?" she asked, not turning around.

"You could still have them…" he whispered again. "I can't do it myself, but I can arrange for it. You… c-can choose anyone you want... whenever you want," he added sadly. Peach's heart broke as she looked back at him. He was slumped forward in defeat staring at the ground with tears in his eyes.

Peach turned her head forward again and held back her tears. She had finally brought Bowser to his breaking point. He had nothing else to give. There was nothing more he could offer her. She had stabbed him straight in the heart and, instead of defending himself, he twisted her blade in farther hoping –  _praying_  - that she would take him. But she had to let him go. She had to keep him safe even if it meant she had to rip her own soul out with her bare hands.

"No, Bowser. You will never be enough for me," Peach stated coldly.

Bowser's heart shattered in his chest and he fell on his knees with a voiceless sob.

"Peach, please… I'll give anything. Please, Peach  _I'll do anything_ ," he cried brokenly as he dug his claws into the ground helplessly. He had no voice, just air.

Peach ignored his pleas and walked briskly in the direction of the castle with tears streaming down her face.

 _"Bowser, forgive me! I didn't mean any of it! I'm sorry! None of it is true!"_  she screamed in her mind. She wanted more than anything to tell him it was all a lie. When she made it through the front doors of the Mushroom Castle she ran. She ran as fast as she could up the stairs and down the halls pushing past the servants, ignoring their meaningless words.

"Princess! You're back!" Toadsworth exclaimed as he saw her running his way. "I am so glad…" he stopped and watched in surprise as she ran straight past him.

When Peach made it into her room she slammed the door and fell onto her bed, her body racked with breathless sobs. Her lungs begged for air and her heart began to rip itself apart... but there would be no relief.

_"Forgive me. Please, I didn't mean it."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kamella shook her head as she hovered above the scene. "Damn it," she murmured as she flew away and dialed a number on her phone.

 _"Hello?"_  a voice answered.

"She didn't break it," she stated in anger.

 _"Then I guess we only have one choice. Use the spell. I'll take care of the rest,"_  the voice said.


	24. A Traitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! 
> 
> There is some abusive content in this chapter.
> 
> ~Shaka!

The next day Peach didn't come out of her room or let anyone in. Every servant in the castle was panicking. The princess had no food, no tea, no freshly pressed clothes, and no one had cleaned her room for over 24 hours. Several of her subjects, including Toadsworth, knocked on her door and tried to ask what was going on but they were given no answers.

Inside her room, Peach laid on her bed looking at the ceiling. Her tears had run dry hours ago but she still silently wept. Her lungs burned, muscles screamed in pain, head throbbed, and her heart was tattered and torn but… still fully functioning. Bowser's face kept flashing across her vision no matter how much she tried to think of anything else. She never wanted to forget something so much, and yet she had never wanted something any more than she did now.

*Thump*

Peach sat up and looked around to see where the noise had come from. She listened in silence for a couple minutes, shrugged, and laid back down.

*Thump… CRASH!*

_"Ouch…"_

Peach quickly rolled out of bed and ran to her bathroom door. Opening it, she found Toadette lying on the floor along with a bunch of chocolate truffles scattered across the floor. The little pink-capped Toad jumped to her feet in fright and shuffled her feet nervously.

"Princess… I am sorry to disturb you," Toadette said with a bow, wincing a little with the effort.

"Toadette, how on earth did you get in there? Are you alright?" Peach asked with concern as she walked forward.

"I… came in yesterday to lay out fresh chocolates in the bathroom. They get stale after a day or two when they are left in the open air. And yes, I'm fine. I'll be sure to leave as soon as I clean up the mess. I promise, Princess. I  _truly_  am sorry," Toadette explained quickly.

"Oh my, Toadette… have you been in there all night?" Peach asked in shock. "You poor girl. Come out of there and let me check for any injuries. I have a First Aid Kit in here somewhere…" Peach said as she hurriedly grabbed Toadette a chair and looked around for her First Aid Kit.

"You are too kind, your Highness. I couldn't possibly…" Toadette stated, flustered and embarrassed.

"You can and you will. Sit down and tell me if anything hurts," Peach said. Toadette nodded her head and watched the princess clean and bandage the scratches on her elbows an hands.

"Princess?" Toadette asked.

"Yes, Toadette?" Peach answered.

"I am sorry you are so sad. Umm… I know I was told not to ask but… does it have something to do with Mario?"

Peach looked up from her work in surprise and Toadette blushed nervously.

"No… It is something else, but thank you for being concerned. Who told you not to ask?" Peach asked curiously.

"Oh… Toasdworth had us agree to keep Mario topics off limits. After Mario left, Toadsworth didn't want anyone to bother you with all of that stuff. I mean, sorry… I know how much Mario meant to you…"

"Oh, Toadette, don't worry! Everything with Mario is okay now…" Peach trailed off.

_Toadsworth…_

"Do you know anything about what happened between me and Mario?" Peach asked curiously.

"Well, when we found you, there was an open letter that Mario left for you. It was a breakup letter. No one was there in person, but it was stated in the letter that…"

Toadette trailed off and looking at the princess uncomfortably, but Peach smiled warmly and motioned for her to continue.

"The letter stated that Mario "couldn't do this anymore" and he didn't love you like you did him. He wrote that he wasn't coming back. We were all shocked and, when Toadsworth read it, he told us that bringing it up would only hurt you more. The way you fainted and became sick for weeks was proof of that."

"I see... Thank you for being so considerate, Toadette. But, don't worry too much about me. As much as it hurts to know that Mario is gone, it would be a lie to act like he was never there. He is a good man and, though my heart hurts when I think of him, it makes me want to become better," Peach explained, smiling kindly.

"Oh, Princess! You are the most selfless person I know! I hope I can be as positive as you someday," Toadetted stated dreamily.

Peach chuckled, "You already are, Toadette. I am sorry to have alarmed you. Also, thank you for always being so thoughtful."

"Oh, Princess! Of course! Thank you so much for bandaging my scrapes. I am sure to be as good as new now. I won't keep you any longer either," Toadetter said as she slid off the chair and inspected her hands. Before she opened the door to leave, she looked back at the pale and sad looking princess. "Is there anything you want or need? I promise I won't let anyone bother you and I will sit by your door all day to make sure of it!" Toadette stated with pride.

"Actually, there is one thing I need to do. Could you send for Toadsworth to visit me?" Peach asked with a small smile.

"Oh, yes! I will call him right away!" Toadette stated, hurrying out the door.

 _"She really is such a thoughtful girl,"_ Peach thought to herself.

As the princess waited, she put her normal makeup on but dressed herself up in jeans and a pink t-shirt. It felt strange to wear it in the castle, but it was one of the most comfortable outfits she had ever worn. By the time she was done, she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, Toadette stood proudly with a grin on her face.

"I brought Toadsworth for you! Let me know if you need anything else," the little Toad said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Toadette," Peach answered with a genuine smile. As she thanked her, Toadsworth walked into the Princess's room proudly with his cane in hand. Worry had obviously been his constant friend by the looks of the wrinkles on his face.

As they both sat down at Peach's balcony tea table, Toadsworth was brimming with questions, "Princess! It is so good to see you! I am so glad you are home safe! Everyone was worried sick about you. Well, we still are… Why have you been in your bedroom for so long without any necessities? Did that  _brute_  harm you? Are you injured or sick? I can't believe the gull of that monstrous..." He continued to rant until the Princess finally interrupted him.

"Toadsworth," Peach said flatly, earning his immediate attention. "Did you know Mario is engaged?"

Toadsworth's face paled.

"Princess, what are you saying? That is preposterous!" he chuckled nervously.

"Oh, but it is true. Mario is in love with another woman and he is engaged. Which is interesting, because you showed me his tombstone when I woke up five days after his death," Peach continued, never taking her eyes off of Toadsworth's face. He flinched but kept a calm demeanor. A true politician.

"Did you read that in the Celebrity News? Peach, you know they aren't a reputable source for information…" he explained.

"Actually, he told me himself," Peach stated. Toadsworth opened his mouth but stopped when the look on her face changed from pleasant to angry. "Tell me. Why is it that you ordered the whole Mushroom Castle not to speak of or ask about Mario?"

"B-because it could hurt you after…" Toadsworth tried to explain, but Peach would have none of it.

"After what? After he  _dumped_  me?" Peach asked. Toadsworth was stunned. "It was hard to believe that Mario was dead but it was even harder to believe that no one else knew about his death  _and_  had been misled to believe that he randomly decided to leave." Toadsworth opened his mouth but was once again silenced.

"You were there the night Kamella killed Mario. How did you  _happen_  to avoid her sleeping spell? Or should I be asking something else? Such as, how could you blatantly lie to and betray your Princess?" Peach asked calmly but with daggers in her words.

"How dare you speak to me in such a tone? I am loyal to the throne!" Toadsworth exclaimed heatedly.

"You may have been once, but you became a traitor the moment you covered for a  _foreign terrorist_ ," Peach stated with disdain in her voice.

"I did nothing of the sort! I have only ever done what is best in the throne's interest," Toadsworth claimed with pride.

"Even when you have no authority to act politically without the permission of the royal family?" the Princess argued.

"Peach! Your father has been sick…" Toadsworth contended.

"You may address me as Your Highness or Princess Peach. And no. My father has cut himself off from political affairs, as well as the rest of the castle, to avoid being held captive by your  _ridiculous_  schedules. May I also remind you that my rank is higher than yours as you are my adviser, not my personal caretaker?" Peach stated, watching Toadsworth's face burn red in anger.

"Your father was never held captive within these walls! They are required meetings that were and still need to be dealt with as soon as possible. As for your last question, I was assigned to be your advisor _along_ with the responsibility of being your caretaker," Toadsworth explained.

Peach chuckled, "My father specifically stated that your mantle of  _caretaker_  would be void as soon as I turned eighteen. I am now twenty-three years old and you have been given no other orders than those originally given to you," Peach said, smiling coldly.

"I have a duty to…" Toadsworth began.

"You have a duty to do as you are told by your leaders! I am your  _leader_  when the  _King_  resigns for any reason at all  _unless_  he says otherwise," the Princess explained with exaggerated diction. Toadsworth was furious and his face began changing to darker shades of red. "As your leader, I now ask you to retire and resign from your post as my advisor."

"What?!" Toadsworth jumped up from his chair and stood before the princess.

"Either that or you will be honorably discharged," Peach continued definitely, remaining seated in her chair.

"You can't do that! I am the head of the Mushroom Kingdom Council! I have been working tirelessly for the crown for years!" Toadsworth stated with panic rising in his voice.

"I can and I already have. I will expect to have your papers of resignation on my desk within the next 24 hours. After all, that is  _more than fair_ isn't it?" Peach said icily.

"I… Your Highness I have always been loyal to the crown's future," Toadsworth explained with feigned composure.

"Traitors create a broken system, Toadsworth. You should be hung for your crimes but… I would rather not sully my hands with your blood. Also, don't worry about the kingdom. I will be sure to  _invest_  in the most prosperous future possible," Peach stated with a devious smile.

Toadsworth's face blanched. His reaction was the final nail in his coffin. As angry as Peach was, she felt nothing else. There was no sadness as she sent him out of her room. The attachment the princess had felt for Toadsworth was gone. She knew he had done what he thought was best but even the best intentions couldn't give her back what she had lost.

Closing the door behind Toadsworth as he left, the princess sat back down at her balcony table. She felt hollow and everything she had ever looked forward to in her life seemed meaningless. There was only one thing that could make her feel anything now.

"Please, Stars," Peach whispered in a quiet prayer, "Watch over Bowser."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser was in a trance. He had been lying under the bridge near the Mushroom Castle since the day before, and he still didn't have the will to move. Why should he? No one knew he was there and even if someone did, they probably wouldn't care. He was the worthless Koopa his former wife had always told him he was.

He could just hear her now…

...

_"I told you..."_

..

.

_"I told you that no one would ever love you more than me," Clawdia said with a knowing smile._

_Bowser only sat on his bed watching the TV on the wall. "How much did you pay her? Yet she didn't even strip for you when she saw you without your shell, did she? Tell me, how is a strong, rich man like you so ugly?"_

_"If you find me so repulsive, why are you still here? You have already given me a child," Bowser growled._

_"Because I signed a marriage contract, which clearly states that I cannot divorce you until I give you your_ true heir _. Last time I checked, Ludwig has blue hair, not red. Soooo I am stuck with your disgusting mug until you have a traditional red-haired prince," she explained with a grimace on her face._

_"Is that why you paid the last girl not to do her job? If you're afraid someone else will conceive my future heir, don't worry. I'll continue to have children with you until you have a red-haired Koopaling so that we can both be free of this cursed marriage," Bowser stated sullenly as he flipped to another channel._

_"And have some other whore-child take the throne that MY blood should have?_ Absolutely not _! I am not going to go through all of this suffering just so MY heir gets second place!" Clawdia snarled. "Speaking of which, I have fully recovered from giving birth. Since the last girl didn't give you what you wanted, how about I do it for you?"_

_Bowser kept his eyes on the TV but he could hear her set her shell on the floor beside the bed. He was starving for physical touch after being deprived of it for nine months of Clawdia's absence, but her words had smothered his need._

_Was he really that ugly? Bowser knew his wife always paid other girls to stay away from him, but maybe part of it was his body. Didn't most handsome Koopas have at least some girls chasing after them? Hell, even ugly rich Koopas had chicks._

_"Awww… Are you mad that I think you're revolting?" Clawdia said as she leaned into his side and looked at his face with a devious smile. "Would it help if I told you that you_ might _not be the ugliest person out there? You're the ugliest of all Koopas to be sure. You have no sex appeal at all for women and men alike, but there are still other species out there that you might be better than." Clawdia chuckled and slid her hand under his shell._

"No,"  _he thought to himself with determination._  "I am sexy as hell and I'll prove it to her."

_Before his wife could react, Bowser was all over her doing everything he could to please her. He had read every trick in the book and he crushed every single technique to perfection... but when he had done all he could, she still left unsatisfied._

_He had failed and he cried._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Bowser….Pssssstttt You're Highness," a voice came cutting through Bowser's lonely void.

"Hm?" he grunted, opening his crusted eyes slowly. The sun was just starting to go down and the sky was shifting through certain colors that he didn't want to think about.

"You really can sleep anywhere can't you?" Kamella stated with a smirk. Bowser's eyes flipped open wide when he recognized her voice. A low growl rumbled through his chest.

"Leave me alone, old hag," Bowser grumbled as he sat up from his spot in the grass.

"You look absolutely terrible. Did wooing Peach not go as planned?" Kamella chuckled.

Bowser only looked at her. He knew he should be angry, but he had nothing left. His pride was broken along with his spirit.

"I told you. You should have brought them to fear us. Maybe the princess would have married you if you had been a little more intimidating," Kamella continued.

"Peach deserves better than that and I deserve better than a life built on the fear of others," Bowser stated.

"Well, that isn't what I wanted to hear at all…" Kamella said with a sarcastic pout.

Bowser glared at Kamella but continued to sit where he was. He wasn't ready to leave just yet. This might be the last time he would be this close to Peach again.

_"mmph!"_

The Koopa King looked around. The muffled noise had come from the direction of the castle. His eyes widened. A group of people clothed in black was running away from the castle with a long wiggly black bag held above their heads.

"Peach…" Bowser whispered under his breath as he got up from the ground and ran forward towards the band of kidnappers.

"Idiots! I told them not to run past the front of the castle…" Kamella stated as she took out her wand. With a swish of her wand, a cloud of blue sparks encased Bowser. He held his breath and looked back at her with fury in his eyes. "Just breath, my King. This will all be over before you know it," Kamella stated with an evil grin.

Putting one hand over his mouth and nose, Bowser ran forward with his other hand stretching out for Kamella. He would at least take her out before the magic took him.

He was quicker than the old Magikoopa had anticipated. With a squawk, she ran in the opposite direction and summoned her broom. Bowser's claw was just above her head when the broom scooped Kamella up and she sped into the sky. In a final act of desperation, Bowser used his remaining breath and let out a massive burst of flame which hit Kamella straight in the back as she retreated.

"Wahhhhhh!" Kamella squealed as she fell from the sky on a smoking broom. Her crashing to the ground was the last thing Bowser saw before he finally passed out from inhaling the blue magic.

"That bastard! This was my favorite broom!" Kamella yelled in anger as she inspected the charred and splintered remains of her cherished broomstick. She looked back at the unconscious Koopa King and frowned sourly, "I'll make sure you pay for that."


	25. Her Broken Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A BLAH-BLAH-NOTE to my readers: Can you smell that? That is the smell of more really great updates! GAH! So excited...
> 
> Semi-Optional Music: Two Hearts/Daichi Miura [Music Box]
> 
> Youtube: Go to settings and slow the Speed down to 0.75
> 
> Or you can find the Angel's Music Box version here (This is the best version EVER): spotify:user:g8bbster:playlist:5VpXHCKRpmbSo2vwVCoDux
> 
> Thanks so much for all of the FANTASTIC feedback! :3 I love you all

Peach struggled and flailed all that she could, but the ropes around her were too tight, and the tape on her mouth only allowed her to make muffled noises. She could hear a few hushed voices around her, but she didn't recognize any of them or understand what they were saying. Within a few minutes, she felt the group stuff her into a small Kart and begin driving.

Once the Kart finally stopped, she felt a few of her kidnappers take a hold of her and carry her into a building. It must have been some kind of business establishment because a little bell chimed when they opened the door. The moment they entered, her nose was filled with the smell of alcohol and she could hear them walking on hardwood floors.

Peach tried to squirm out of their grasp and make more noise, but it did no good. She had a terrible feeling that no one but her abductors would hear her. By the time she had given up escaping their grasp, the kidnappers sat her in a chair, tied her loosely with rope, and scrambled out the door they had come in from. The bell rang one more time as they left, letting her know that they had vacated the building.

 _"Did they really just leave me here?"_  Peach thought, feeling a bought of panic rise in her chest. She wiggled in her chair and made more muffled noises, but there was no answer. From what she could tell, she was alone, so she sat on the chair quietly for what felt like a long time.

*SMASH*

A loud crashing noise came from somewhere in the same room as the princess. Something wooden had been completely shattered underneath something rather large and heavy.

"What are you doing here, Toad? I thought I told you I was bringing  _him_  here and having you take the princess somewhere else," Kamella stated angrily.

Suddenly, Peach heard a chair scrape across the floor behind her and footsteps walk up beside her timidly.

"I just want you to wipe her memory! That's all... Once you do that, we will be on our way. She won't remember that Bowser was here anyhow. Besides, what took you so long to get here?" Toadsworth stated with eager nervousness.

Peach couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Bowser scorched a part of my wand so it kept sending me to all the wrong places!" Kamella growled angrily. "Anyhow, I wasn't worried about  _her_! I was worried about the League of Investors! If there are any witnesses..."

"There will be no witnesses. I told all of them that Bowser was coming for us so they wouldn't get nosey. The League was scared out of their minds when they saw him coming after them outside the castle," Toadsworth stated reassuringly. Peach flinched.

 _"Bowser had still been outside the castle?"_  she thought with surprise.

"There better not be or you'll lose more than your job," Kamella threatened. "Now, let me see…" Kamella walked forward and pulled the bag off of Peach's face. Peach glared at her and grumbled noises angrily.

"Aww… It's so good to see you too, _Peachy_ ," Kamella said with a laugh. "You know? I made a mistake when I made that Magical Promise with you. If that old Toadsworth fool wouldn't have talked me into it, I might have already gotten rid of Bowser by now. I just really thought that he would have gone back to normal after losing all of his hope in you. Instead, he became even weaker after you broke his heart… Tell me, did you mean everything you said or did it break your heart just as much as his?"

Peach only continued to glare at Kamella as she stood beside her chair.

"Well at least the Promise kept Peach from making a grave mistake of her own," Toadsworth said on the princess's other side. Peach turned her hateful gaze to Toadsworth. She couldn't believe he had betrayed her so fully. "D-don't look at me like that, ole gall. I had to do what was best for the crown. I would never have accepted Kamella's invitation into the League of Investors if you hadn't started talking about wanting to be kidnapped by Bowser. I really couldn't have pure blood like yours to be tainted by that…  _monstrosity_ ," Toadsworth said as he shook his head distastefully. Peach leaned forward and made angry noises at him. Toadsworth's eyes went wide and he took a step back fearfully as he watched her scoot to the front of her seat.

Kamella stepped forward and, with a wave of her wand, tightened the ropes around the princess and tied her to the back of the chair securely. Peach wiggled and did her best to yell at both of them, but it only seemed to frighten Toadsworth.

"Please, erase her memory! This has gone far enough!" Toadsworth fretted.

"You touch her…. and I kill you both…" a gruff voice came from the broken table behind them. Toadsworth ran back behind Peach's chair in fright while Kamella turned around with a frown on her face. Peach's eyes went wide when she saw Bowser clumsily try to lift himself from the splintered wood that had once been a pool table.

"Hm… I must not have used enough of my magic on you," Kamella sighed.

"Kamella! Put him out at once! We are in a bar surrounded by alcohol! He could blow up this entire place to smithereens with one blow!" Toadsworth whispered loudly.

"Yes. But that might work to our advantage with Peach still in the room with us. Bowser wouldn't want to hurt his precious bitch now, would he?" Kamella stated goadingly.

Bowser stood up shakily and huffed, "I don't need to roast you. I just need to beat the hell out of you." He pounded his chest with his fist and the spikes on his shell lengthened. Reaching his hand back, he took a hold of one of the long spikes, pulled it out, and began spinning it in his hand menacingly.

"Kamella!" Toadsworth screamed worriedly from behind Peach's chair.

"Shut up, you old piece of shit!" Kamella yelled at the Toad. She took her wand in hand and watched Bowser closely. He was still swaying slightly from the effects of her sleeping spell. "You look a little off-balance, Your Fearlessness. Are you sure you want to be swinging that spear around like that?"

"Well, at least dizziness goes away with time. You're old and time only makes you  _die faster_!" Bowser shouted from his side of the room. Kamella sneered as he flung himself forward with the spear in hand.

Kamella transported herself to a corner on the other side of the room and Bowser spun around to face her again. This time she pointed the wand at her own head and chuckled evilly.

"You know… I read this magic book once that stated,  _'A promise once forgotten is as if never made.'_  I wonder what would occur if I just  _happened_  to forget?" Kamella whispered as she looked in Peach's direction. With a wink at the princess, Kamella chanted a spell under her breath and suddenly fell to the ground unconscious.

"Well, there's your answer, idiot. You lose consciousness," Bowser scoffed. But he wasn't going to complain. That was one less thing that he had to worry about dealing with right now.

"Peach, are you okay?" Bowser asked as he walked over to her, meeting her blue eyes worriedly. Peach grumbled at him and nodded her head.

"Stay away from her, you fiend!" Toadsworth yelled and threw a bottle at Bowser from behind the bar.

It was a terrible throw.

The bottle flew for Peach's head, but Bowser caught it from mid-air and scowled at Toadsworth who had gone back to cowering in the corner. Bowser shook his head and looked back down at Peach.

"Peach, forgive me, but this is going to hurt a little," Bowser said as he grabbed a corner of the tape over her mouth and pulled quickly. With a *riiiip!* the tape was off and she groaned. Despite the pain, Peach looked up at him with a smile.

"Bowser, you saved me!" she cried happily.

Bowser's shattered heart twitched under her warm gaze. No wonder Mario always came to save her. Getting praised by a beautiful princess wasn't half bad. _"But Mario is still an idiot so…"_

"Did they hurt you? Did they make you forget anything? How many hotels did we stay in? Do you remember the color of the dress you wore yesterday?" Bowser rattled off worriedly.

"No, they didn't hurt me. We stayed in two hotels on this last trip and I wore jeans," Peach said with a chuckle.

"Peach, I am so sorry. I tried to stop them when I saw them take you, but Kamella caught me off-guard and I didn't…" Bowser rambled.

"Bowser it's okay. We just need to get out of here before Kamella wakes up," Peach said, trying to keep herself calm. The look in Kamella's eyes when she cast that spell on herself told Peach that something very bad could happen when Kamella woke up.

Bowser cut Peach's ropes and helped her up from the chair she had been confined to. As soon as she was free, she walked past Bowser and made her way over to Toadsworth who was hiding under the bar in the corner.

Peach took a bottle from the counter and stood in front of him with anger in her eyes.

"Princess… I know you don't understand but…"

"No. I understand perfectly," Peach stated sharply. Toadsworth looked up at her with fear. "You are a traitor to the Mushroom Kingdom and you deserve to be executed for your crimes against the Royal Family." The princess raised the bottle above her head and threw it with all her might. Toadsworth screamed and the bottled shattered.

"Don't  _ever_  show your face at my castle again! Consider yourself fired! I will do the paperwork myself," Peach muttered darkly. She looked at Toadsworth one more time with warning in her eyes and then left him shivering in his sad little corner. "Pick up Kamella, Bowser. It's time we go home."

With that, Bowser walked over to where Kamella had been laying and sighed.

"She is gone," Bowser stated with frustration.

"Then you need to go home and I need fortify my castle," Peach decided. Bowser nodded his agreement and growled one more time at Toadsworth as he made his way to the back of the building. Bowser kicked the back door down and they left the bar.

A neon light flashed over a rusty sign that read "Koopaburra Bar".

"This must have been the League's secret meeting place that Mario talked about," Peach thought outloud. Bowser hummed in agreement but said nothing more.

Neither of the royals said anything more as they made their way through the woods outside the town they had been brought to. The adrenaline had begun to wear off, giving them more room to feel less welcome feelings. Both of them avoided so much as looking at each other when their lonely hearts began to ache again.

"Peach, can I ask you something?" Bowser asked sometime into their walk. She only nodded, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her. "Did you agree t…"

*CRACK*

A bright green flash lit up the night and another sharp crack ripped through the air. Before Peach could say anything, Bowser scooped her up into his arms and started running as fast as he could.

"Bowser! What's going on?" Peach asked with a panicked look in her eyes.

"Kamella is attacking us! My shell can deflect most of her magic, but we have to get to an open area where she can't hide," Bowser explained between breaths. Peach's heart sunk when she thought back to what Kamella had said.

 _"I wonder what would occur if I just_ happened _to forget?"_

 _"No,"_ Peach thought to herself when she realized what it meant.

"Bowser put me down and let me run! You'll run out of energy before we make it out of the woods!" Peach shouted.

"Absolutely not! If even one of those blasts hits you, you're a goner Peach. I am not losing you like that," Bowser argued.

"It will be okay! I am a smaller target anyhow!" Peach fought his grip, which he only tightened. "Bowser, please!"

"No! Peach, you are not running on your own," Bowser said as he began to pant harder. At that moment, a large magical flame burst against Bowser's shell. With a grunt, the Koopa fought to keep his balance as he continued to run. The princess could only watch as his shell was pelleted with powerful magic.

Bowser knew they wouldn't make it out of the woods at this rate. His shell was starting to crack and Kamella was getting closer with every second. He wouldn't be able to protect Peach if Kamella got in front of them.

Bowser looked down at Peach as he ran.

"Bowser?" Peach asked, seeing a weird look on his face.

Without another moment's thought, Bowser bent down and kissed Peach roughly. He was out of breath, but he poured his whole heart into his kiss. Before she could react, he took her into his left arm and used his right hand to unlatch the green spiked dome from his main shell. Bowser put Peach in-between the spikes on his shell, took a big leap, and grinned at his princess.

"I love you, Peach," Bowser said and then he threw the shell with all of his might.

"Bowser!" Peach screamed as she flew through the trees at a breakneck pace. She looked back and watched as Bowser took his battle stance and stuffed a mushroom in his mouth. He grew five times his original size and roared.

"I hope you're better at fighting than you are at politics, asshat! GWA HA HA!"

A barrage of green sparks lit up the woods and the shell Peach was riding bounced off of a tree, jerking her around and out of sight. She was now too far away to see or hear the fight anymore and she only kept getting farther away. Bowser no longer had his main form of protection and Kamella probably hadn't even used half of her magic yet.

Peach's eyes filled with tears as she laid her head down on Bowser's shell and took in his smell. He was going to die if she didn't do something.

"I have to find him," Peach whispered. Clenching her teeth, she looked up and pushed off the back of the shell as hard as she could. Luckily, none of the spikes caught her as she flew off the shell. Hitting the ground, she went rolling into a tree with a sickening crunch. She screamed as searing pain shot through her left side. Panting, she laid on her right side and felt the left side of her chest. It hurt like hell, but she had to get up.

She had to find Bowser.

A hiss exuded from the princess's mouth as she pushed off the ground and used the tree to pull herself onto her feet. Slowly, she followed the trail the shell had dug into the dirt. She didn't know how long she walked, but time seemed to move slower as her mind went into a haze. The pain in her side and the fact that Bowser could be dead was numbing her mind.

Time continued to stretch on forever until she came to a section of the forest that had been leveled to nothing but ash.

Lying in the middle of it was the Koopa King.

Peach gasped and her side ached in protest as she willed herself to run forward without bothering to check if the coast was clear. Kamella be damned.

(Cue Music)

Clumsily, Peach stumbled and fell to her hands and knees just as she got to Bowser's side. Hot tears streamed down her face as she crawled towards his bleeding body. His chest-plate was shattered and his torso had two massive blast holes. Peach laid a shaky hand on a section of his chest that hadn't been burned and blinked in surprise when she felt it moving slightly.

He was still breathing.

"Bowser," she called softly. "Bowser, can you hear me?"

Bowser's chest moved as he took a big shaky breath and coughed. "Peach," he wheezed.

Peach sobbed and laughed at the same time. He was still alive.

"Bowser! Bowser, I'm here!" she said, grabbing his hand, holding it in her own as she smiled at him. He opened his eyes slightly and coughed again.

"I did it all wrong didn't I?" Bowser gasped. "I always wanted to impress you… But big and fearsome could never impress grace and purity."

"No... I just..." Peach tried to say through her tears.

He grabbed her hand, "Don't, my Queen... Let me acknowledge my mistake for once. It's not every day that someone as perfect (cough) as me has something wrong to admit about themselves." He chuckled and coughed up blood.

"But it's not true. You may have been kind of overbearing or stubborn at times but... I found it charming," Peach said quietly.

"Peach... you don't have to..."

"Shhh… Bowser, I lied to you," Peach said, tears rolling down her face as her lips trembled. "You are enough." Bowser coughed and his arm twitched as she kissed his hand. She could feel a tinge of heat coming from the Contract mark in-between her shoulder blades, but she wasn't going to stop. She refused to let him go this time.

"It's true you made some mistakes, but I was also prideful and pushed you away because I was afraid of being rejected by others. The truth is..." her back was starting to burn hotter, "I really enjoy being with you. I like your stupid grin when you talk about yourself like a god. I feel safe when you wrap your arms around me. My heart beats faster when you look at me for too long and my head spins when you kiss me.

"To be honest, I hated you for making my childhood dreams look terribly dual and giving me impure thoughts. I hated that I couldn't even breathe without thinking about you! You stupid,  _selfish Koopa_! Don't make me live without you now that you finally got what you wanted!" She sobbed and the searing fire on her back flooded her veins throughout her body. "Bowser, it was all a lie! Everything. I don't care about having human children! You are more than anything I will ever deserve. I'll never leave you again! Please, forgive me."

Peach gripped his hand and put her head on his chest, grinding her teeth as she gasped from the heat that coursed through her veins. Suddenly, there was a burst of pressure around her and her pain was gone. She opened her eyes and found herself in a white courtroom.

The Contract had been broken.


	26. The Red Judge

Everything in the room was white and very bright except for the people that filled the courtroom. Peach looked about in confusion. She was standing at a table facing the Bench where a figure wearing a red robe sat. Three white-robed figures sat on either side of him. All of their faces were covered with the hoods of their robes, but each of their heads had a different shape. One of the white robe wearers had a large domed head. He or she was obviously a Toad.

The next figure was rather round and seemed to float. That one had to be a Boo because every time Peach looked his way he flinched and went very still. Though she couldn't see his hands, she would bet anything that he was covering his eyes under the hood of the robe.

The red-robed figure was the only one she couldn't figure out. His body, from his shoulders down, was slightly hunched but not enough to look like a shell. His head had no unique shapes that she could she. The only clue she had was his scaly hooked snout and a small horn between his nostrils that peeked out from under his hood.

With a glance to her left, Peach also saw Kamella on the other side of the room, standing at her own table, which was exactly like the one Peach was standing at. Behind both Kamella and Peach, benches were lined up facing the judgment seat. All of them were filled with people that were familiar and unfamiliar to the princess. Some of them were servants from her own castle, while others were political leaders that she had met with on occasion.

Peach was even more shocked when her eyes fell on Daisy, Luigi, Mario, Pauline and... King Boo? The whole group was here! ... Except for one person.

"Daisy!" Peach whispered loudly to get her attention.

"Oh, Peachy! I missed you so much! Where are we? I was sleeping in my bed when I woke up to a loud pop and bright white lights!" Daisy explained with exaggerated hand motions. The rest of the group nodded in agreement and began asking Peach a bunch of questions all at once.

"Order! ORDER!" one of the white-robed counselors exclaimed. The loud chattering in the room ceased. "This is the Court of Magical Law. A Magical Contract has been broken between the two standing before us. Persons who have been seated in the benches behind the Contract signers were affiliated with fulfilling or breaking the Contract and have been brought here as witnesses and/or accessories of the crime committed. Now, as the first counselor to the Red Judge, I pronounce this hearing in session. Let us begin..."

"Excuse me, Your Honor…" Peach asked quietly, raising her hand. The counselor went silent and looked at the Red Judge. The Judge nodded his head and moved for her to continue. "Bowser was also apart of the Contract. Where is he?"

All of the white-robed councilors looked to the Judge who sat silently for a moment, contemplating his answer.

"Princess Peach, to answer your question, look at the condition that your body is in at the moment. You feel no pain because it is only your consciousness that resides within these walls. Each person within the courtroom has been transferred here mentally but not physically," the Judge explained in a deep voice.

"So he is either in a comatose state or… unreachable," Peach stated. Worry wracked her mind as she stood at her table. The Red Judge nodded his head and waved for his first counselor to continue from where he left off.

"Now then, the council recognizes those who signed the Contract. Kamella Koopa's memory has been fully restored and all witnesses are present. To begin this trial, which of you is guilty of breaking the Contract?" the counselor asked. With this, Kamella straightened her back and pointed to Peach.

"Princess Peach broke the Contract by acting with romantic intentions towards Bowser Koopa, King of the Dark Lands," Kamella stated. The audience in the back of the room whispered. Some believed her claim and others shook their heads with skepticism.

"Princess Peach, what have you to say in your defense?" the counselor asked, scratching something down with his quill.

"Guilty," Peach answered.

The audience gasped and some of them even booed at Peach. The panel of counselors looked to the Red Judge who had leaned forward with some interest in what Peach had said. Before the counselor could continue, the Judge himself raised his hand for silence in the room.

"Tell me, Princess. Why do you plead guilty to breaking the contract?" the Red Judge asked.

Peach looked up from her hands and met his gaze, "Because I acted with romantic intent towards King Bowser Koopa."

There was a massive amount of hissing and booing coming from the audience in the back. Mario and the rest of Peach's friends were stunned but they tried to get the rest of the audience to quiet down. Everyone was silenced when the Judge once again raised his hand with a little less patience.

"I see," the Judge said, sitting back thoughtfully. "Bring us the witness for the signing of the Contract."

Kamella eagerly stood and answered, "There was no witness."

"Do you have a copy of the Contract?" the Red Judge asked.

"No. It was lost sometime after the signing," Kamella stated. Peach turned her head to look at the purpled robed Magikoopa. Kamella had  _lost_  the Contract?

 _"It doesn't matter. I am guilty of breaking it either way,"_  Peach thought to herself.

"That is not what my file is showing me," the Judge stated, obviously humored by Kamella's statement. "Kamek Koopa, Magikoopa of the Dark Lands, what is the meaning behind this confusion?"

Kamek walked forward from the back of the audience and stood before the Red Judge in the center of the room.

"I was there when Kamella and Peach signed the Contract but neither of them knew of my presence. After they had finished signing, I signed my name in secret before they parted ways," Kamek stated. Kamella balled her fists and frowned angrily.

 _"That is why he wanted to talk to me…"_ Peach realized.

"Do you have the Contract?" the Red Judge asked.

"Yes," Kamek unrolled the scroll to reveal that his name had indeed been signed on the Contract. "I took it for safekeeping after Kamella intentionally tried to dispose of it," Kamek explained.

"I object! I had no such intentions," Kamella stated trying to keep her anger under control.

"What gave you the impression that it was intentional?" the Judge asked Kamek.

"She laid the Contract in a pile of used paper and wiped her own memory to forget where it was. The staff burns used piles of paper like the ones she laid the Contract in," Kamek explained.

"Interesting. Your claim will be noted," the judge stated and the councilors each scribbled in their scrolls.

"Your Honor, as a witness, may I also speak on the account of Princess Peach?" Kamek asked politely. The Red Judge merely glanced at his council and nodded his head.

"As you know, any legal restrictions that are tied to the Contract become void once one of the signers breaks their oath. Kamella broke the Contract first; therefore, Peach is exempt from any legal repercussions," Kamek stated.

"I object!" Kamella stated. The Judge ignored her plea and moved for Kamek to continue.

"To start from the beginning, Peach was pressured into signing the Contract by Kamella. From what I gathered, Kamella threatened to take Bowser's life in the name of the League of Investors. Each member of which is standing in this very room. Kamella Koopa created this group in order to keep tabs on both Bowser and Peach while she pulled the strings.

"After each party had signed the Contract, I decided to be a temporary companion for Peach. She had no idea that I was there, but I also watched from a distance to keep an eye on Kamella. This was a very lucky decision because as Peach left Bowser's Castle to travel for Sarasaland, Bowser went after Peach once he found that she had left the castle. I watched as Kamella tampered with Peach's Clown Kart so that Bowser could catch up to her. Kamella also used magic with the intention of revealing the Contract's mark on Peach's back to Bowser," Kamek explained. Kamella was raging mad.

"I object! He has no other witness other than his own!" Kamella yelled. The Judge sat forward once again to look between the three standing before him.

"Princess, what have you to say for his claims?" the red judge inquired.

"Both of these instances are true, but I didn't know they were caused by Kamella," Peach answered honestly.

"Then Kamek may continue and Kamella's objection will be ignored," the Red Judge decided. Kamella only shook her head in anger and sat down in her chair with a huff.

"Thank you, your Honor," Kamek said. "As I was saying, Bowser and Peach traveled together for Sarasaland but were once again impeded by Kamella. She hid roads with question mark clouds so that they couldn't find their way to the Sarasaland Castle. They figured it out eventually, but by the time the Princess had made it to her destination, the entire Sarasaland Castle had been put to sleep my Kamella's magic except for Daisy, Luigi, and two unfortunate servants."

"Daisy, Princess of Sarasaland, can you vouch for Kamek's claims?" the Red Judge asked. Daisy looked at Kamella who glared at her threateningly.

"Yes," Daisy stated, taking Luigi's hand. "Kamella came to threaten us against speaking with Peach. Toadington, my servant, and his wife just happened to be in the room when Kamella came. She kept them awake to send Peach away when she finally arrived at my castle."

"What motive did Kamella have for doing this?" the Judge questioned further.

Daisy thought back, "I got a call from Peach while she was at Bowser's Castle. It had been a long time since we had talked to each other so we caught up as much as we could, but it all went wrong when Peach declared that Mario was dead. Both Luigi and I were confused because we had been told that Mario had only gone missing. We ended up hanging up and didn't get to talk to Peach much after that night.

"The next day, Luigi spent hours calling our friends and asking if they had seen Mario. The last one we called was Pauline. She told us that she knew where Mario was. Not long after, Kamella showed up out of the blue. She told me that if I said even one word to Peach that she would kill Luigi… so I complied with her demands.

"When Peach came to the Castle, we had Toadington, my servant, tell her that we had left for the week. Peach tried to look for us but ended up giving up. As she left the castle, Toadington hinted to Peach that we were still in the castle but that we were safe… Kamella punished him for giving Peach too much information by killing him," Daisy said sadly. Peach's eyes went wide as she looked from Daisy to Kamella. Toadington was dead?

The council deliberated and the Red Judge merely sat silently as he contemplated. After a moment, one of the council stood.

"Princess Peach, for what reason did you believe that Mario was dead?" the counselor asked in a high-pitched voice.

"I told Kamella that I wouldn't sign the Contract, but she threatened that Bowser would be harmed for my choice," Peach explained. "Because of her threats, I decided to send a letter to Mario to ask him to protect Bowser from Kamella. Mario, who had been apart of the League of Investors, was angry that Kamella threatened to hurt Bowser to get me to sign the Contract so he came to my castle to warn me. When Mario came to my castle, Kamella found out about his intentions and stabbed him in front of me. I believed he was dead and I fainted. Toadsworth was one of the Investors as well so he made arrangements for me to continue to believe that Mario was dead." The counselor nodded his head and thanked her for her answer.

"Mario, can you vouch for her statement?" the counselor asked. Mario nodded fervently and the rest of the panel scribbled in their scrolls.

"Princess Peach, how did you find out that Mario was still alive if you weren't given any information at the Sarasaland Castle?" the councilor inquired.

"Toadington had written Pauline's name on his hand so that I would see it before I left. He was the one that gave me the hint," Peach said, looking back at Daisy whose eyes became shiny with tears. Kamella cussed under her breath. "Later that day, I heard that Pauline would be performing with her band live in the downtown area, so I stayed in Sarasaland and found her after her show. When I confronted her, Pauline took me to her home where Mario had been keeping a low profile and recovering from his fight with Kamella. It turns out that Kamella had stabbed him with a fake knife and erased his memory completely so that he wouldn't come back to tell me the truth. Pauline informed me that she found Mario in the middle of nowhere covered with fake blood and no memory whatsoever."

The Red Judge chuckled a little and looked in Kamella's direction. "Very clever," he said. Turning his head, he asked, "Pauline, do you object to anything that Peach has stated?"

"No. Every word is true," Pauline answered confidently.

"Your Honor, I fail to see how this has anything to do with breaking the Contract," Kamella growled.

"Noted," the Red Judge said. "Kamek? Is there a point to this?"

"Yes, there is. However, let me elaborate just a little further. I promise you won't be disappointed with the outcome."

The Judge thought for a moment and nodded silently.

"While Peach was in Sarasaland, Bowser came back to the Dark Land Castle. He would have stayed longer if a Celebrity New Magazine hadn't been left on his bed. Keep in mind that the Dark Land Kingdom doesn't sell Celebrity News Magazines. They have been banned from the Dark Lands for years. The magazine itself stated that the Princess was still in Sarasaland but was staying in a hotel. Immediately after reading it, Bowser asked for a warp pipe to be prepared for him to travel back to Sarasaland. I asked him not to leave, but he stated that Peach should have been admitted into the Sarasaland Castle. He was worried that something was wrong so I offered to go with him.

"We later found Peach in Pauline's home with Mario who had been rumored to be missing for over a month," Kamek continued. "Once again, I left Bowser and watched at a distance as Peach and Bowser left Pauline's home and set off for the Mushroom Castle. Kamella was also there every step of the way. She was rather irritated by the time that Peach had made it to the castle. I didn't feel comfortable leaving so I kept an eye on Bowser as he stayed outside Peach's Castle.

"The next evening, I watched as a group of people dressed in black stole Princess Peach from the castle. Kamella had also put Bowser to sleep and transported him elsewhere. I couldn't follow her as she magically transported herself so I stayed with Peach. The group that had kidnapped her took her to a bar on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Once inside, one of them stayed behind and the rest left.

"A few minutes later, Kamella made it to the bar with Bowser and started yelling at the one man who stayed behind with the princess. He took off his hat and revealed himself to be Toadsworth, Peach's personal advisor. Bowser woke up and began a fight with Kamella but, instead of trying to put Bowser back to sleep, she erased her own memory and passed out. As Bowser freed Peach, Kamella escaped.

"I thought maybe the trouble had ended for the night so I flew in the direction that Kamella had flown, but I was completely mistaken. When I caught up with her, Toadsworth also arrived and spoke with her. I was not close enough to hear what he said, but right after Kamella spoke with Toadsworth, she flew after Bowser and attacked him with magic. Bowser saved Peach by sending her away on the back of his shell but, without his main shell, he was left vulnerable to her magic. Despite this, Kamella didn't stop her attacks for even a moment. Now he is close to death, having been mortally wounded by the very person who agreed not to harm him in any way, shape, or form so long as Peach refrained from acting with any romantic intent towards Bowser, King of the Dark Lands!" Kamek shouted as he pointed an accusing claw at Kamella.

The whole room was in an uproar. Peach was on the verge of tears, her friends gasped in shock, the members of the League of Investors were shouting at Kamek angrily, and the council was whispering to each other as they scribbled in their scrolls quickly. The only one who had kept a calm demeanor was the Red Judge himself.

*SMACK! SMACK!*

"Order!" the Judge yelled with a deep booming voice as he slammed his gavel on the podium. Everyone went silent. "Kamella, you have been accused of breaking the Contract you made with Princess Peach on two instances. The first, by allowing an outsider to know of the Contract you made with Peach, The second, by wounding Bowser, King of the Dark Lands. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Kamella stood from her table. "Your Honor, would you allow me to call on Toadsworth as a witness in my defense?"

"Yes, he may come forward," the Red Judge agreed. Toadsworth walked shakily forward and Peach watched as he passed her and stood next to Kamek.

"For the first charge laid against me, I plead not guilty," Kamella stated confidently. "The scroll I signed specifically states that none other than the signers may know of the Magical Contract's existence. I spoke to Toadsworth of a  _Magical Promise_ , not a  _Magical Contract_. The term may be similar but it is technically different and does not count."

Peach shook her head sadly.

"Toadsworth, Personal Advisor to Princess Peach, is what Kamella claims true?" the Red judge asked plainly.

"Y-yes," Toadsworth answered.

"Noted. And as for the second charge?" the Judge asked, only slightly more interested.

"Not guilty," Kamella responded. "As Kamek stated in his narration, I  _accidentally_ used a Memory Wiping spell instead of the Self- Multiplying spell that I meant to use. I probably wiped some of the details of the Contract away with some other portions of my memory. It was completely unintentional from what I can remember." Peach shook her head and raised her hand. The Red Judge motioned for the princess to speak.

"Your Honor, before Kamella cast her spell she said exactly these words:

_"'A promise once forgotten is as if never made.' I wonder what would happen if I just happened to forget?"_

"She knew what spell she was using and she did it on purpose," Peach explained fervently.

"I object!" Kamella cut in. The judge motioned for the purple Magikoopa to speak. "The Princess is lying. I never said such words and I had no other intentions than to keep Bowser under control."

"Toadsworth, is what the Princess claiming true or false?" the judge inquired.

"It is false," Toadsworth answered quickly.

"Kamek?" the judge asked.

"I wasn't close enough to hear what Kamella said… I am sorry Princess." Kamek said honestly as he turned to give her an apologetic look. Peach gave him a small smile of understanding.

"Kamella, you said your intention was to control Bowser. Why would you need to control your King?" the Judge asked.

"Because I wanted him to stop going after Peach. I wanted him to let her go and become the King that the Dark Lands needs him to be," Kamella stated.

"Did you plant the magazine on his bed?" the Judge asked.

"…Yes," Kamella answered hesitantly.

"If you wanted him away from the princess why did you set him up to go back?" the Red Judge asked, pushing her harder.

"Because I wanted her to break his heart. I knew she wouldn't break her Contract. I was hoping that he would become the fearsome King the Dark Lands needed to be if he finally let go of Peach," Kamella explained.

"Ah. A political motive," the Red Judge said thoughtfully as he glanced at his councilors. "What would you have done if Princess Peach would have broken her Contract?"

"I… don't know," Kamella said, a little flustered by the judge's unexpected questions.

"You threatened Princess Peach with Bowser's death and others say you may have killed someone else to keep a secret. What makes you think that we won't rule your  _accidental_ Mind Wiping as intentional?" the Judge pushed.

"Because there is not enough evidence against me to be ruled as guilty," Kamella said boldly. Even the councilors gasped this time. The Red Judge chuckled and leaned forward with his arms on the podium.

"So we have one death, one mortally wounded King, a radical political group, an amnesiac, two tricksters, treason, and a good helping of confusion," the Red Judge said with humor in his voice. "Take notes, Council, this may be the best case we will ever have."

Everyone else in the room went silent as the Judge stood from his seat and walked down in front of Kamella. He was a little taller than her and walked with a slight wobble. As he stood and looked at her he smiled.

"You would make a wonderful addition to my council with a bright mind like yours," the Judge stated. Kamella stayed silent, a little confused by his actions. "However, this whole charade will go on your Magical Record, making you unfit for the position." With that, he stuck out his claw and laid it on her head. There was a bright flash of light and Kamella stumbled back into her chair with a groan.

"Yes. She is guilty," the red judge said simply and walked back up to his spot at the podium. "Kamella, Magikoopa of the Dark Lands! I hereby pronounce you guilty for breaking your Magical Contract with Princess Peach, future Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom through self-inflicted amnesia. Let it be a lesson to all other magic users! Forgetting a promise is as if it was never made,  _but beware_  of self-inflicted forgetfulness. Forget or not, if your original intentions are fulfilled, then you might as well never have forgotten in the first place."

"Princess Peach," the Judge continued. "What is your sentence for Kamella, Magikoopa of the Dark Lands?"

Peach was stunned. Kamella, who she was sure was going to walk free was now at her mercy. The princess thought hard for a moment and then smiled as she looked at the purple Koopa who was just starting to sit up with Toadsworth's help.

"To live out her days fulfilling every promise that she has not kept," Peach said.

"WHAT?!" Kamella screeched.

Kamek began to laugh uncontrollably.

"It shall be done," the Judge said decidedly. He knocked his gavel on the podium and said, "Kamella Koopa, you are sentenced to fulfill every promise you have not kept. You will not be allowed the use of magic unless it is the only way to satisfy your sentence. If you use your magic for any other reason or ignore your sentence, you will be  _severely_  penalized. The Magical Probation District will watch your every move closely from this day forth. Case closed." The Red Judge gave the podium another good smack with his gavel decidedly and got up from his chair. Each of the council members stood as well and followed the Judge as he made his way to the exit. Before he could go, Peach ran after him.

"Your Honor, wait! Thank you, but I don't understand. How did you know that Kamella was guilty?" Peach asked eagerly.

"My child, I knew she was guilty before the hearing even began," the Red Judge stated. "To be honest, I have a second job as a teacher of Magical Law so I thought my class would enjoy sitting in during one of my meetings."

The group of white-robed councilors nodded enthusiastically.

"So you already had a sentence for Kamella but had us recount the whole dispute for your students?" Peach asked as multiple emotions ran through her chest.

"If hurting Bowser was never Kamella's intent, it never would have happened," the Judge said. "Tell me. Why did you think that you were guilty when you first got here?"

"Because the mark on my back burned when I told Bowser…" Peach began.

"Ahh… That was my fault. You see, when someone breaks or is close to breaking their Contract, the burning sensation on their mark happens because I send it personally as a warning. I keep an eye on more complicated matters such as yours.  _But!_  The burning can also serve as a sign that your consciousness is being transferred to this courtroom…

"The only reason I didn't teleport you both when Kamella broke her Contract was that I had just put my robes in the dryer… I couldn't pull you both to the courtroom without my Judging robes! Never in my entire life would I allow myself to be so unprofessional!" the Red Judge stated with pride.

Peach smiled a little but a troubled look came over her face. The Judge put his claw on her shoulder.

"Time isn't the same in this room. An hour here is a mere second in reality. I cannot guarantee that Bowser will live, but I can say that you have a small chance of saving him. Use your heart, young one," he said kindly. Before Peach could say anything else, he tapped her forehead and she saw a flash of white.

Peach suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side as her consciousness was transported back to her physical body. She could feel her hands wrapped around Bowser's hand and the warmth of his chest on her face as she rested her head on him. There was only one difference...

He was no longer breathing.


	27. Crystal Walls

Peach panicked. She let go of Bowser's limp hand and proceeded to shake him. His eyes and his mouth were still slightly open but she couldn't feel his breath anymore. There was no sign that he was still alive. She desperately put her hand on his neck to feel for a pulse.

There was nothing.

"Bowser. Please don't go," she sobbed, her chest aching immensely under the pressure. "Wake up! Wake up, Bowser!" Peach cried hoarsely as she grabbed his shoulder and tried to shake him. He was like a thousand pound boulder. No matter how hard she tried to shake him, he lay motionless on the cold ground.

*CRACK*

A bright green spark of magic sped past Peach's head, singing a few strands of her hair. Peach's heart burned with sadness and anger as a hysterical laugh filled the air.

"I have to keep ALL of my old promises, huh?! I guess I can't hurt Bowser anymore, but that damn Contract never said anything about you!" Kamella screamed shrilly.

The princess didn't look back at the Magikoopa. Instead, she laid her head on Bowser's chest and began singing softly under her breath. It was a simple tune and she didn't understand the language but the old spell seemed fitting for her last moments.

Kamella screamed angrily at Peach to get her attention but the princess continued to sing brokenly.

_"Sol Deus midons e mo Bel-Vezer sal,"_

When her mother was alive, one of Peach's favorite things to do was climb trees. She would climb all of the way to the top of the tallest tree in their garden just so she could catch a glimpse of the beautiful landscape beyond the castle walls. Only when the sun had settled beneath the horizon would she climb back down and skip back into the castle.

Toadsworth, her caretaker at the time, would always panic when he caught sight of the little cuts and bruises on her body and rush her to the hospital wing of the castle. Her mother would then calm Toadsworth down patiently and take Peach out of the hospital and to her bedroom. Here, Peach would cry as her mother scolded her for worrying everyone so much and then lovingly hold Peach on her lap as she kissed each of her scrapes and sang sweetly.

. . . . . . . .

. . .

.

 _"Momma? What is that you are singing?"_   _Peach asked._

_"It's an old healing spell that has been handed down in our family for centuries," her mother smiled, tapping Peach's nose playfully._

_"What does it mean?" Peach asked with a giggle._

_"It means_ I love you _," her mother answered._

.

…

. . . . . . . . .

Peach never remembered any of her scrapes healing but her mother sang it anyway. No matter how bad or silly the injury, she would always sing the same spell. It had been so long since Peach had heard it but she could still remember every word and note.

Her whole body grew tired as she sang and Kamella's angry yelling was starting to fade away.

_"Tot ai can volh, qu'eu no deman ren al."_

*CRACK!*

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Peach? Oh Sweetyplum, what are you doing here?"

Peach opened her eyes and frantically looked everywhere. She was standing on crystal. The walls around her were crystal but they seemed to be moving. The closer she looked at the walls she could see images.

"Hey, Sweetheart?" the voice behind her called again. Peach spun around quickly, startled to realize that the voice was calling her. Just a few feet away stood a beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman.

"Momma?" Peach whispered in disbelief. After a moment of shock, she ran forward and hugged her mother with everything she had. Her smell, her figure, and the softness of her skin were exactly how Peach remembered it.

"Oh, Peach I missed you so much," her mother said as she returned Peach's hug. After a few moments, her mother pulled away and took Peach's hand with a grin. "Come! There is so much I have to tell you!" her mother said, rushing through crystal hallways until they reached a certain wall. Her mother squeezed her hand and walked through the crystal wall pulling Peach with her.

Suddenly, Peach was outside in a massive open field that seemed to stretch in every direction for miles. Everything in the world looked normal. The grass, the sky, and the air were exactly like Peach remembered it being in the world she had just passed from. The only difference was that the air seemed to glitter and felt slightly thicker than normal.

"Peach, before we go, I must tell you that I am so proud of you," her mother said.

"For what?" Peach asked, a little confused.

"We have all been watching you for a while now. Of course, I have been watching you since I left, but the family only started to watch when Bowser started to kidnap you. Then a whole bunch of exciting things started happening and your grandmother began taking bets from the rest of the gossipers in our family…" the queen giggled and shook her head.

"You might find this creepy, but our ENTIRE family has been watching you since the day you made that contract! To be frank, there were a lot of family members who hated Bowser, but there were also a lot of other people that were HUGE fans of him. Your Aunt Clod has been  _shipping_  you and Bowser for years now while your Uncle Joey spits whenever he hears Bowser's name. Needless to say, everyone was in an uproar when you admitted your feelings for Bowser! Ahhh!" her mother suddenly hugged Peach and squealed excitedly. Though still confused, Peach giggled as her mother kissed her face all over and squeezed her with all of her strength.

"Mom… I still don't understand… Where are we exactly?" Peach asked curiously.

"Oh, Peach…. I'm sorry. I am getting ahead of myself so let me explain… We are in what mortals call  _Heaven_. Right now, we are standing in the Mushroom Kingdom. The crystal we walked through to get here is  _Existence_. We can be anywhere and see everything while we aren't really… anywhere. Living people can't see us because we don't exist on their plane of Existence but we can see them and walk with them on their journeys. It doesn't  _technically_  help, but it makes us feel better when we can be with you through your hardships…" her mother trailed off.

"Anyhow! I have been watching over you since I passed into this plane, but the rest of our family started to watch when I told them that Bowser started to kidnap you. As I said, it may sound creepy, but most of us have been with you the whole time cheering you on," her mother said enthusiastically.

"So where is everyone now? What happened?" Peach asked.

"Everyone is still in the woods. I only brought you here so that you could get a sense of what this place is before throwing you to the wolves… Like I said, the family has been cheering you on… Rather passionately, I might add," her mother said with a hesitant chuckle as she took Peach's hand again and walked forward.

A wall of glass appeared before them but her mother never stopped walking. The glass expanded and then engulfed them within their own reflections. Her mother's hand pulled her through the wall and Peach stumbled a little as she put her hand over her mouth reflexively. If she had been alive, she would have been nauseous from the travel.

When Peach recovered, she lifted her eyes and found herself in a crowded forest. There were hundreds of people gathered in the woods she had just… died in. Some of them sat in the trees while the rest sat or knelt on the ground, eagerly leaning forward trying to get a better look.

 _"They… all look like me,"_  Peach thought to herself in amazement and then cast a glance around the forest itself. It was exactly how she had left it. A large clearing had been made during Bowser's fight with Kamella. Everything within this clearing had been burnt to the ground or trampled into the dirt. Nothing was left intact except for the two bodies lying in the middle of the clearing.

Peach shivered a little when she saw her own body leaning against Bowser's chest. There was something else that bothered her about this moment as well, but she had no time to dwell on it.

"PEACH!" someone screamed in the crowd. All eyes turned to where she was standing beside her mother. An eruption of cheers broke out from all over the woods and everyone ran towards them. Everyone fought to shake Peach's hand, congratulate her, and hug her. Before she knew it, someone had lifted her up above the crowd and they all started cheering her name.

"Peach! Peach! Peach!"

"Brandon! Put my daughter down! My Stars! Give her some space!" a man with a big black mustache yelled as he pushed through the crowd.

"Papa?" Peach said in surprise as the tall man named Brandon set her down. "You…"

"I passed away, dear…" her father said gently. "Remember when I told everyone to leave me alone and not to bother me so I could rest? Well, I am resting … and no one has found me yet!" the King laughed with a big guffaw.

Peach didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she laughed awkwardly.

"Dear, you're making her feel uncomfortable…" Peach's mother said with warning in her voice.

"Ohh… hmmm… Sorry, my little Pea. Honestly, don't worry about it. Everything will turn out okay for our Kingdom. There will always be someone who will step up to rule the Mushroom Kingdom in our place," the King said, taking Peach's hand and walking her through the crowd. Peach stumbled a little with a new realization. She and her father were the only Mushroom Kingdom royals left. The closest relative would be given the role of King or Queen over the Mushroom Kingdom.

 _"That would be Daisy!"_ Peach thought to herself.  _"She's going to be so mad at me…"_

"You know, Peach, I had my doubts about that overgrown lizard for a long time, but when he sacrificed himself to save you it warmed all of our hearts," her father said with a smile. "Peach, I don't care what anyone says, I approve of him and I…  _ship_?... yes! I  _ship_  both of you!"

"Papa? Are you talking about…?" Peach stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes caught a glimpse of a large crystal wall. She watched it curiously and then gasped as the Koopa King himself walked through it. He wore a sad smile on his face as he lumbered into the woods where she and her family had gathered.

"Bowser," Peach whispered, the hole in her chest filled immediately. Her father let go of his daughter's hand as she ran towards Bowser. The Koopa looked up at her and his expression changed to confusion as she jumped in the air and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Peach?" he asked, with a grunt. "What is going on? How are you here? I just watched you leave the courtroom and now…?" Peach didn't know how to answer.

"You died?" he whispered, looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Peach cringed and tucked her head into his chest. Was he mad at her?

"Bowser, I'm sorry for how things ended… I didn't mean to die. Please don't be mad at me," she said sadly.

"What? No! I'm not... I just don't understand…" Bowser said, wrapping her in his arms and squeezing her gently. He held her for a short moment but she felt his head turn when something familiar caught her ear.

_"Bowser. Please don't go! Wake up! Wake up, Bowser!"_

The whole family, who had been quietly watching, quickly started making their way back to their original spots in the forest. There, lying in the middle of the woods was Peach when she was alive. This was the moment when she had tried to wake Bowser up.

_*CRACK*_

Peach flinched at the sound. Bowser growled and squeezed her tighter as they watched their bodies in the forest.

_"I have to keep ALL of my old promises, huh?! I guess I can't hurt Bowser anymore, but that damn contract never said anything about you!" Kamella screamed._

_Peach only hummed in response as she began to sing quietly._

_Cela del mon qued eu plus volh,_

_E mais l'am de cor e de fe,_

_Au de joi mos dihz acolh_

_E mos precs escout' e rete._

_E s'om ja per ben amar mor,_

_Eu en morrai, qu'ins en mo cor_

_Li port amor tan fin' e natural_

_Que tuih son faus vas me li plus leyal._

_"_ _You stupid girl! Look at me!"_ Kamella screamed angrily.

_Be sai la noih, can me despolh,_

_El leih qu'eu no dormirai re ._

_Lo dormir pert, car eu lo.m tolh_

_Per vos, domna, don me sove!_

_Que lai on om a so tezor,_

_Vol om ades tener so cor ._

_S'eu no vos vei, domna, don plus me cal,_

_Negus vezers mo bel pesar no val ._

_"_ _Look at me in the face!" Kamella shot a spark to get Peach's attention but it was no good. The princess only continued to sing, paying no attention to the angry Magikoopa._

_Can me membra com amar solh_

_La fausa de mala merce,_

_Sapchatz que tal ira me colh ,_

_Per pauc vius de joi no.m recre._

_Domna, per cui chan e demor ,_

_Per la bocha.m feretz al cor_

_D'un doutz baizar de fin' amor coral,_

_Que.m torn en joi e.m get d'ira mortal_

_"Fine! I guess I'll just have to make you listen to me!" Kamella rolled up the cuffs of her purple robes and brandished her wand._

_Mo Bel-Vezer gart Deus d'ir' e de mal,_

_S'eu sui de lonh, e de pres atretal_

_Sol Deus midons e mo Bel-Vezer sal,_

_Tot ai can volh, qu'eu no deman ren al ._

Bowser's grip on Peach loosened slightly as he watched. Was Peach singing to him? Her voice was small and broken but it was probably the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"Peach, what does it mean?" Bowser asked, looking down at her.

"It means…" Peach started but was cut off.

_*CRACK*_

_*PVVVRR*_

_A blast of magical shapes intercepted the magic spark that Kamella shot at Peach. The purple-robed Magikoopa scowled and turned her head._

_"Tut tut tut! Someone has broken her parole!" Kamek gave a menacing smile as he flew in front of the Princess to shield her from Kamella. "I wonder if the Red Judge minds if I take your_ severe punishment _into my own claws? Heeeehehe!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Indirect Translation of "Can par la flors josta·l vert
> 
> folh," by Bernart de Ventadorn:
> 
> "She whom I want most on this earth,
> 
> And love the more with heart and faith,
> 
> She joys to hear and keep my words,
> 
> Gathers and stores my pleas always.
> 
> And if men die by true love's art,
> 
> Then I must die, since in my heart
> 
> I bear her love, so true and fine,
> 
> All are false to one whom she'll loyal find.
> 
> I know when I retire at night
> 
> That I shall barely sleep a wink.
> 
> My sleep I lose, forego it quite
> 
> For you, my lady, as I think!
> 
> And where a man hides his treasure
> 
> There will his heart reside forever.
> 
> Lady I can't leave, if I see you not,
> 
> No sight is worth the beauty of my thought.
> 
> When I recall how I loved so
> 
> One who was false, without mercy,
> 
> I tell you such sorrow I did know
> 
> There was no path to joy for me.
> 
> Lady, for whom I sing and more,
> 
> Your lips wounded me to the core,
> 
> With a sweet kiss of love heart-true,
> 
> Grant joy, save me from mortal sorrow too.
> 
> God, guard my Sweet-Sight from harm
> 
> Whether I'm near to her or far.
> 
> God, my lady and Sweet-Sight save,
> 
> That's all I wish, no more I crave."


	28. The Reason

_The red gem in Kamek's wand almost seemed to glow with excitement as he lifted it into the air and shook it._

_*Poof!*_

_"Heeeeehehehe!" Twenty or thirty blue-robed Kameks filled the air. Kamella scowled and took a quick glance at the state of her own wand. It glowed just like Kamek's but not nearly as bright. She had used up a lot of her magic during her fight with Bowser._

_"Kamek! You know I have just as many reasons to kick your wrinkled ass as I do hers!" Kamella shouted. Swung her wand in a quick circular motion and set a shower of green sparks after him. When the sparks hit a few of the fake Kameks, they disappeared with a cloudy puff. The real Kamek, however, flew with great agility, dodging most of the sparks and sending a few blasts of rainbow shapes after her._

_Kamella dodged his attacks as well but not with the same show of agility as Kamek. The hem of her purple robes smoked, having been snagged by one of Kamek's attacks. She grabbed her robes and patted them briskly to make sure they didn't catch fire. With a grunt, she looked back up at all of the fake Kameks and shot spark after spark at them, slowly depleting Kamek's fake doubles. SHe thought she was making some headway until she realized they had surrounded her. Adrenaline began to pump in her veins as the fake Kameks began to shake their wands in an identical fashion. Kamella stopped casting sparks and flew higher into the sky, but it was too late. A rainbow beam shot out from the real Kamek's wand and attached to a fake Kamek's wand. The beam then began to bounce from one fake Kamek to the next, creating a web of bright rainbow magic._

_"AAAACK!"_ Kamella, _flew into one of the rainbow beams and shook as if lightning had struck her. She shook her head dizzily and then snapped back into action._

_The hem of her robed smoked more but she ignored it and waved her wand in a wide circle. A large trampoline materialized underneath her and then red sparks shot out of her wand like large lava balls. They didn't fly very far, instead, they fell towards the trampoline and then bounced back into the air with great speed. The number of rainbow beams ceased almost immediately. The fake Kameks, not fast enough to avoid the attack, were quickly puffed away and the real Kamek's elbow got clipped by one of the massive balls of lava._

_"Do you think killing the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom will improve the judgment that was passed by the Supreme Judge of Magical Law?" Kamek yelled at her from the opposite end of the trampoline. He straightened his round classes and watched her with a with a definite frown. "Leave them be. You have done more than enough damage to them and their Kingdoms."_

_"I did everything FOR our Kingdom! The Dark Lands need a strong King who strikes fear and respect into those around him! Bowser had everything he needed to conquer the world! He was bold, ominous, powerful, and reckless!" Kamella yelled with a triumphant smile on her face. Then her smile fell and she lowered her eyes "... until he set his eyes on Peach. The most kind, virtuous, giving, and **least feared**  ruler on the planet. Kamek, you saw him change. You can't tell me that you agree with his ideas to break the traditions of our past rulers!"_

_"Well, I most certainly don't agree with you, asshat," Kamek chuckled. Kamella snarled at him and began waving her wand furiously in circled. She sent a flurry of sparks shot at Kamek who quickly deflected her attempts to hit Bowser and the Princess. He then shot his own flurry of spells at Kamella._

_As the Magikoopas fought, a shadow of a figure snuck carefully through the trees in the directions of Bowser and Peach's bodies. When he had successfully snuck around both of Magikoopas and made it to the princess, Toadsworth ran Peach's side and gave a heavy sigh of relief. Her body was unharmed._

_"Peach ole gall! I'm so happy that crazy old witch didn't hit you. I thought I had lost you for good when Kamella sent that blasted spell," Toadsworth said anxiously as he put his hand on her back and shook her reassuringly._

_"Princess?" The blonde haired woman gave no response. A cold sense of dread washed over Toadsworth when he realized she wasn't moving or saying anything. With shaky hands, he searched for a pulse but there was none and she wasn't breathing._

_"Kamek!" Toadsworth screamed in a panic. There was no one else here who could help him. Kamella had been the one that had attacked Peach and Bowser was dead. Despite his plea for help, both of the Magikoopas continued to fight, ignoring the old Toad._

_Kamek shook his wand again and all of Kamella's lava balls bouncing on the trampoline transformed into flip-flops. Kamella glared at him with slight confusion. Out of all of the things he could have transformed them into, he chose flip-flops? Kamek chuckled to himself, caught one of the larger flip-flops in his claw, and stuffed it into his pocket._

_"That's it? No flying book bats or poisonous bubbles? Flip-flops?" Kamella asked angrily._

_"One can never overestimate the power of great wardrobe improvements," Kamek answered simply._

_"You're mocking me!" Kamella screamed._

_"_ NoPe _." He popped the P at the end of the word childishly._

_"GAH!" Kamella flew forward with fury in her eyes. She made a circular motion with her wand and sent another shower of sparks at Kamek._

_Toadsworth stood from Peach's side and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Kamek! PEACH ISN'T BREATHING!"_

_Kamella hesitated momentarily in confusion._

_Kamek's glasses glinted dangerously and he smirked, not taking his eyes off of Kamella. With a great burst of speed, Kamek zoomed through a gap in her sparks and came to a halt right next to Kamella._

_"Don't underestimate..." Kamek said in an uncharacteristically low and serious voice. "...the flip-flop." With a swift motion of his hand, he pulled the floppy shoe from his pocket, lifted it over his head and..._

_*smack!*_

_*Smack!*_

_*Smacksmacksmacksmacksmack*_

_***SSSSSSSSMAAAACCCCCCKKKKK*** _

_Kamella's flattened face howled in pain and she fell from her broom, landing harshly on the ground. Before she could recover herself, Kamek muttered a spell and pointed his wand at her. Ropes tied themselves around Kamella and a large, dirty old sock stuffed itself into her mouth._

_"Let me take a look," Kamek stated, rushing to the other side of the forest clearing and pushing Toadsworth out of the way. He poked and prodded the bodies of Peach and Bowser, then hummed thoughtfully to himself. From what he could tell, both of them were dead but he couldn't make out a cause of death for either of them. Bowser's shell was cracked and stained with blood but his skin was clear. He had no wounds. Peach, on the other hand, had scrapes, bruises, and possibly a couple of broken ribs but nothing that would kill her. Kamek then took a strand of hair from Peach and examined it._

_"There is something missing," Kamek stated._

_"What is it? What is missing?" Toadsworth asked worriedly._

_"When someone dies, the magic in their bodies lingers until it slowly fades away. Peach's body has no magic at all and Bowser's has more than normal," Kamek said thoughtfully. "She tried to bring him back…"_

_"What does that mean? For Stars' sake, tell me what is going on!" Toadsworth yelled._

_"It means Peach tried to use her magic to pull Bowser's soul back to his body! But if his soul was too far, he would end up pulling her with him. It's much like trying to pull someone out of a waterfall. If the rescuer doesn't have enough weight or strength to anchor themselves down then both the victim and the rescuer end up taken away by the current," Kamek explained._

_"Can she be saved? Isn't there anything you can do?" Toadsworth asked with panic._

_"Yes… Yes, there just might be," Kamek stated with hope rising in his voice._

_"MRRRMMPH!" Kamella grumbled loudly from the other side of the clearing. She knew exactly what he was thinking and she didn't like it at all. Despite this, Kamek stood up and walked in her direction with a devious smile._

_"Mmmmmmmmphrrrr..." Kamella grumbled again as he took hold of her and began dragging her closer to Bowser and Peach. She shook her head fanatically, but Kamek set her down next to Toadsworth who flinched away from her in fear._

_"Mrrrphrr…" she grumbled, still looking at Kamek fervently. He, in turn, stared back at her until she defiantly twisted her head in another direction. Her eyes settled on Bowser and Peach who were lying lifelessly together._

_"Kamella, we can still save them," Kamek said, pulling the gag out of her mouth._

_"And end up dying with them? Their bodies may be intact, but there is nothing left within them. We don't know how long both of them have been gone from their bodies," Kamella argued, tearing her eyes away from the bodies, forcing herself to glare at the ground._

_"Kamella, don't you owe them this much after taking everything from them?" Kamek asked quietly._

_"But I only did it to…" Kamella began._

_"I know why you did it..."_

_"The hell you do! I did it so our Kingdom wouldn't make the same mistake again, you heartless old bastard!" she raged at him. Spitting at him with disgust._

_"What happened back then was unfortunate. You lost your son during a failed attempt to make peace with a neighboring Kingdom. It was one of the greatest losses our Kingdom has had. He was the brightest Magikoopa we have had in centuries... But Kamella, the people of that neighboring kingdom ambushed our people during the signing of the peace treaty because they **feared** us. They didn't think we had any intention of keeping our side of the bargain," Kamek explained, pleading for her to listen to his words._

_"No! We should never have bothered with the treaty!" Kamella snarled. "Fear is what kept them at bay in the first place!"_

_"And fear is what kept their armies at our borders," Kamek stated plainly. Kamella went silent and ground her teeth. "'Peace between kingdoms is the ultimate form of respect.' Remember that? Those were Kameron's words."_

_"How dare you speak his name?!" Kamella shrieked. "How dare you speak his words!? He's dead because of you and the stupid ideas that you planted in his head!"_

_"Kameron was my student, my responsibility, but I could not save him. I'll regret not going to that Peace Conference for the rest of my life, but I could not stop him from going. You, of all people, should know I couldn't stop him. He worked so hard for that Treaty. Not even the stars could keep him from going. Even though the chances of peace were slim, Kameron went anyhow. I understand...You wanted to rectify a past mistake but you have made the past repeat itself because of your own personal fear." Kamek said with a deep frown on his face. Kamella tried to wiggle and unbind herself angrily._

_"Kamella, do you love your son?" Kamek questioned her with a serious expression. She stopped wiggling and gave him a scathing glare._

_"More than a son of a bitch like you will ever understand," Kamella growled at him._

_"Then don't they deserve a chance to have what you lost?" Kamek asked, motioning towards Bowser and Peach._

_Kamella fought against the ropes harder, desperately trying to get free but soon gave up with an exasperated sigh. "…Fine. But if I die, I will make sure to bring you with me," Kamella growled. Kamek took a hold of her ropes and pulled her closer to the lifeless bodies._

_"Toadsworth, we will need your help. It is risky and we may not make it back but…" Kamek asked._

_"My duty is to protect the throne. What do I have to do?" Toadsworth answered with pride._

_"Kamella and I are going to attach to your soul like a lifeline. Your job will be to search for Bowser and Peach. Once you find them, grab onto them with all your strength and we will pull you back. Kamella, Toadsworth, are you ready?" Kamek asked seriously. Both of them nodded and the three of them sat in a triangle around the bodies. As soon as Toadsworth closed his eyes, he felt himself falling._

Everything was crystal.


	29. Don't Let Go

There was nothing but stunned silence. Everyone on the crystal plane stood gaping at the three figures sitting motionlessly by Peach and Bowser's lifeless bodies. Did this mean that Bowser and Peach had a chance to go back? To be alive again? If Kamek, Kamella, and Toadsworth had really entered  _Heaven_ 's plane of existence, where were they now and how long had they already been there?

"Bowser, the reality we have been watching is delayed. We just watched my death after I had already died. That means Toadsworth has been searching for us for a few minutes already," Peach said with an unmistakable hint of hope in her voice. Bowser grimaced.

"Peach, even if he does find us…" Bowser began, but he was cut off when Peach's family started murmuring and giving loud gasps of surprise.

"Toadsworth!" Peach exclaimed in amazement as the brown-capped toad crystalized into view. Toadsworth had doubled over with his hands on his knees. He looked as though he was about to be sick, but when he caught sight of the princess an anxious smile to his face.

"Princess! I found you! My goodness, what a tricky place this is! Take my hand, we will get you out of here in a jiffy," Toadsworth said as he quickly ran up to her and took her hand. She smiled and followed shortly until she realized Bowser wasn't moving. Peach stopped midstep, jerking Toadsworth to a halt.

"Wait! What about Bowser?" Peach asked uneasily.

"What about him? He is too heavy for us to take back with us!" Toadsworth said dismissively, tugging on her hand eagerly. Peach quickly took her hand out of the old Toad's grasp and looked at him with determination in her eyes.

"I am not going back without him," she said decidedly.

"What?! Princess, we are putting our lives at risk for you and you're going to worry about that  _monster_  now, of all times? Stop being selfish and come back home!" Toadsworth exclaimed. Peach was about to retort when Bowser cut in.

"Peach. It's okay. Really, you should go with him. My body may not even be able to hold me anymore, but you have a chance," Bowser said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

"No," Peach stated flatly.

"Peach, please. Don't stay in this boring place just for me. You have a life out there! Someone like you  _deserves_  to live," Bowser argued anxiously. He didn't know how long Toadsworth could stay, but the rope around his waist was quivering. Since the rope was purely made of Kamella and Kamek's souls, this wasn't a very good sign.

"Alone?" Peach asked, looking him in the eye. "Didn't you hear a word I said to you?"

"Yes! I heard every word! I made your family rewind the moment I died just so I could listen to you all over again!" Bowser said frantically, taking both of her hands in his while meeting her gaze intensely. "I would be lying if I… if I said I am not happy. I have been waiting for you for  _so long_. But Peach I can't let you stay here just because of me. Besides, it's not like I won't be with you. Hell, I'll walk by your side for the rest of your life if you want me to."

"Peach! I can't believe I'm saying this, but listen to Bowser! The Mushroom Kingdom needs you!" Toadsworth stated, starting to panic as the ground beneath him started to shine. He stepped sideways slightly leaving two very bright footprints on the ground where he had been standing. His eyes widened, as his footprints grew larger until they consumed each other and formed a singular gaping hole.

Toadsworth tried to grab Peach's hand again but she pulled it away and he felt the rope begin to tug on him. He looked down as a loud sucking noise started to come from the hole and watched in horror as his purple and blue lifeline got sucked into the bright tunnel.

"Princess! We are running out of time!" he yelled, his voice becoming hoarse with fear.

"I'm not leaving him!" Peach shouted. Toadsworth began to dig his heels into the ground as the lifeline around his waist pulled him away from Peach. He didn't have time. He looked around frantically for something to hold onto until his eyes settled on a familiar face.

"My stars! Your Highness, what are you doing here?!" Toadsworth yelled in shock as he caught sight of the Mushroom King holding his wife's hand.

"Ahhh, Toadsworth!" the King exclaimed, scratching his hair awkwardly. He had tried to keep a low profile. "It is… good to see you!"

 _"The Kind is dead and Peach is the only heir to the throne. If she doesn't make it back, the crown of the Mushroom Kingdom will be broken,"_  Toadsworth thought frantically. He watched as Bowser tried to convince Peach to go back, but the hole was becoming massive. Even worse, the lifeline that was pulling Toadsworth towards the hole was starting to make weird creaking noises as it pulled him slowly to the edge of the hole.

He couldn't leave Peach here.

With a groan, Toadsworth pulled and stretched the rope with all of his might to get it to let go of his waist. Once he was free, he threw the rope into Bowser's hand.

"Don't let go!" Toadsworth yelled quickly pushing Peach into Bowser's grasp. Before they could answer, the rope gave a strong jolt and pulled them into the hole. As Bowser and Peach were pulled through the hole they were thrown about wildly. The speed of their descent was alarming and there was a rush of powerful wind.

*Creeeaaak*

Bowser looked down at the rope in his claw. The blue rope started to crack and fray as it pulled them through the blinding tunnel. They were going too fast and he was too heavy. Even keeping a hold of the purple and blue rope was proving to be a nearly impossible task. He tried to twist Kamek and Kamella's rope around his claw, but it continued to slip through his fingers little by little until he was at the very end.

He looked down at Peach who was tucked under his arm with her face pressed against the breastplate of his shell.

 _"Just a little further,"_  Bowser thought to himself as he willed his claw to close tighter around the end of their lifeline.

*ffffwwip*

The rope suddenly flung them harshly into the wall of the hole. Bowser took the blow head-on, saving Peach from most of the damage but, in that split second, Bowser lost his grip on Peach. He thrust his arm out to grab her but the rope was whipping erratically in the air.

"PEACH!"

In one last act of desperation, Bowser reached for her outstretched arms and let go of the rope. He flew towards her and she reached for him urgently, but it was too late. The tunnel suddenly ceased and she was gone.

.

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Peach felt a dull ache returning to her body. Something bright was shining in her face, but she didn't know how to make it go away. It took her another few moments to remember that she had to ability to block the light. She just needed to recall how to move her arms. Peach focused all of her energy on moving her left hand, eliciting a small twitch from her pinky finger. This movement alone made her feel exhausted.

 _"Why did I want to move again?"_  Peach thought, slightly perplexed. She feebly tried to remember but gave up. Whatever the reason, it probably wasn't very important anyhow. With this thought, the princess fell back into a deep sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The bright light was back again. This time it was accompanied by a strange buzzing noise. Irritation pricked Peach's consciousness and the light only seemed to get brighter. A sharp hiss exuded from her lips as pain ran through her chest, but the light had finally stopped shining in her eyes.

Peach opened her eyes and squinted slightly at the hand she had unknowingly lifted to block the light. She was about to close her eyes when she heard the buzzing noise going off again.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

 _I know that noise,"_  the princess thought, vaguely aware of an itch on her nose. She screwed her face up as if trying to shake the feeling off, but the movement only seemed to make the itch worse. With a great amount of effort, Peach lifted her other hand and began to scratch the tip of her nose. A sigh of relief escaped her happy little nose and she allowed her arm to fall back to the bed with a dull thud.

"Oh, dear!" a voice exclaimed. Peach willed her eyes to open wider so she could glance across the room. Her eyes settled on a white Shyguy who was running out of her room in a hurry.

 _"Where am I?"_  Peach wondered to herself. She was lying on a white bed in a small room that smelled like rubbing alcohol. The wall on the other side of her room was filled with flowers, cards, and gifts.  _"A hospital? How long…?"_

_"….Wait! We haven't had time to check on her! Let Dr. Yoshi look things over before…"_

_"Get out of my way or I'll roast you!"_

*Craaack!*

Peach's hospital door lock broke and wooden splinters scattered across the floor as the Koopa King himself flung the door open.

 _"Bowser,"_ Peach thought, recognition waking her sleepy mind. Despite her heightened awareness, her eyelids began to droop and her arm began to tilt back. To her dismay, the sun began to shine in her face again and she could no longer lift her arm.

"Your Boisterousness, as you can see, the Princess isn't fully awake yet. She needs more time before…"

Bowser glared at the Shyguy in a doctor's coat and snorted angrily. "I thought you said she was awake!"

"She was but…"

The Koopa King pushed past the Shyguy and walked to the side of Peach's hospital bed. He huffed impatiently as he stood above her. She looked terrible. There were deep gashes and dark purple bruises on her arms and face. Bowser frowned when he took a closer look at the arm she had used to block the light coming from her hospital window. It was now bent back a very awkward and uncomfortable looking position.

Though the Shyguy nurse protested, Bowser drew the blinds on Peach's window and gently moved her arm to her side. A look of uncertainty crossed Bowser's face as he watched her for another few minutes. He was just about to reach towards her face when he heard a group of nurses enter the hospital room.

A growl rumbled in his chest and he stomped out of the room with a deep scowl on his face.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_She was falling._

_No matter how far she reached, there was nothing to hold onto. There was nothing she could do to stop her self from hurtling through the bright tunnel. She looked down and felt her heart stop and the blood rush from her face. The bottom of the tunnel was now in sight._

_The longer she looked at it, the faster she fell. The ground was now rapidly approaching and her speed was gaining no matter how much she flailed her arms and legs. She fell faster and faster until..._

Peach opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to bring her hands over her face, but something was restraining her. There was no way to see what it was. No matter what direction she looked, there was nothing but darkness.

"I can't see," Peach whimpered. "I can't..."

"Then open your eyes, moron."

The princess flinched at the voice but did as she was asked. Slowly, her eyes cracked open and she could see a thin line of light. A strong sense of relief filled her rigid body and her tension began to melt away as she opened her eyes further and found herself lying in her hospital bed. Her eyes widened even farther when they met a pair of red eyes staring at her.

"Bowser," the princess croaked with a frail smile. A wave of happiness overtook her. He was alive, and so was she.

Peach willed herself to lift her hand out from underneath her blankets and lay it on the large claw he had rested on the side of her bed. His eyes widened and he met her gaze for a long moment. Her smile broadened and her eyesight began to grow hazy. Bowser flinched slightly when a tear streaked down Peach's cheek.

"You're alive," she rasped weakly.

"Yeah. No thanks to you," Bowser said with a dry smirk. He leaned back in his chair, but he didn't take his hand away. Instead, he stared at their hands silently as if he was contemplating something. "It is good to finally see you conscious, Princess Toadstool. My whole castle has been a mess since Kamek brought you to our hospital. They will all be glad to hear that you have woken up and maybe they will finally stop sneaking to the hospital wing to check on you."

The princess's smile faded at his words. "How long?" she whispered.

"You have been asleep for ten days. Kamek told me that you used every ounce of magic you had trying to... bring me back to life," Bowser frowned slightly but continued, "You actually woke up sooner than we expected. The doctors and Magikoopa were sure you would be asleep for at least two weeks. Something about the relationship between magic and life force? Anyhow, I know you're probably mad that I kept you here for so long, but Kamek transported us to my castle after Kamella's attack and moving you again could have caused more damage." He smiled impishly at her. He was obviously not sorry at all.

"No. I am glad," Peach murmured. Bowser's eyebrows rose in surprise. "The Mushroom Kingdom Castle's hospital is fine, but yours has always proven to be more efficient." She coughed and sputtered after she spoke. Her throat was almost numb from underuse.

Bowser grinned proudly. "You can thank the Koopalings for that! The hospital would have been smaller if they weren't so prone to injure themselves and the servants," Bowser's smile faded and his expression became serious. "Princess… I came to tell you... some bad news. I did what I could but..."

"Toadsworth and my father are gone," Peach said, finishing his sentence with a sad smile. Bowser nodded. "Good."

"What?" Bowser said, confused by her statement.

"That means I don't have to fire Toadsworth and my father can finally rest in peace with my mother. He has never been the same since she died and, though the kingdom will miss him, I believe it was for the best," Peach stated matter-of-factly. Bowser mulled over what she had said in silence.

*Fwooooosh*

Kamek flew into Peach's hospital room at full speed and dismounted his broom with a grin on his face. "Hmmm, Peach you look awful, heeeeeeehehehe," Kameka stated impishly.

Bowser gave a low growl, "I don't remember calling you here, dip-shit."

"He is fine, Bowser. I figured I didn't look well when I found that there were no mirrors in my room," Peach said with a smile. "Kamek, I am glad to see you." Kamek bowed and walked closer to her bed.

Bowser's frown deepened into a scowl.

"You bow to a foreign leader but not to your own King?" Bowser spat in irritation.

"Your Nastiness, we both owe her greatly…" Kamek began, but Bowser cut him off.

"You always told me that you couldn't bow because of your  _bad back_ … but it seems your ailment has been cured…. Now bow to me," Bowser snarled. Standing up from his chair and facing the Magikoopa.

"I…"

" **BOW!**  DAMN YOU!" Bowser roared and stomped on the ground in a fit of rage. Kamek stumbled and fell to his hands and knees as the floor shook and cracked under Bowser's strength. He looked up at his king in shock.

"Bowser, stop it! You should never treat your servants in such a way!" Peach said in surprise. Bowser stopped stomping and brought his angry eyes to hers. The color in her face drained away.

"Care to repeat that?" Bowser growled with a deadly glare.

Peach opened her mouth stubbornly as he walked closer to her bed. "Y-you shouldn't treat your servants that way."

Bowser took his fist and slammed it down onto her bed stand.

*CRASH!*

The stand completely broke apart under Bowser's violent strength. He lifted his fist and looked up at her with a menacing grin.

Then time seemed to stop, and Bowser's grin turned into a look of confusion.

Peach's face was contorted with fear. The look on her face made something twist in his chest. Without thinking, he reached for her, but she cringed away from his touch.

He remembered this…

Bowser quickly turned around and left the room, leaving Peach and Kamek in complete shock. The nurses and doctors that had heard the commotion kept their distance from him as he tore through the hallways.


	30. The Irremediable King

_"You know, your servants will only grow to hate you if you keep treating them so terribly,"_   _Princess Peach muttered from her end of the massive dining room table. She lifted another spoon of soup to her mouth with her shackled hand._

_A poor little Goomba servant picked himself up off the floor and waddled back into the kitchen with pudding dripping from his head._

_"The pudding tasted terrible and I figured that, if it wasn't fit to be eaten, maybe it was fit to be worn," Bowser smiled devilishly, his teeth glinting in the light of the golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "Take my advice, Princess. Fear is the greatest form of respect. As long as they fear you they will always do what you say."_

_Peach frowned at him, "That's a very lonely way to live."_

_Bowser bristled and puffed up his chest in angry pride. "I have the biggest, strongest, toughest Kingdom in the world, servants who do everything I say, parties every night with beautiful women from all around the world, and more money than I know what to do with! I have never known loneliness. Besides, only the_ weak _feel lonely and I don't have a weak bone in my body."_

 _"That sounds an awful lot like something a lonely person would say," Peach smirked as she took a sip from her cup. The words coming from her mouth mildly surprised her. She wasn't usually this taciturn. In fact, Peach was well known for being one of the most amiable and respectful_   _women_ _of her age. However, she didn't like the fact that Bowser and his children had started making a habit of kidnapping her. In fact, she didn't like thinking it but... she hated... yes, hated Bowser for taking her from home against her will again._

_"So you think I am weak," Bowser snorted with a deep frown. Anger began to rise in his stomach. This little shrew had been on his nerves since the moment he took her from her castle._

_"I never said that," Peach set her cup back down and looked at Bowser curiously. "Why don't your kids eat dinner with you?"_

_Bowser's eyebrows furrowed and he gave a low growl. "Those brats could eat in the dungeon for all I care, and you_ definitely _could be eating there very soon if you don't learn to hold your tongue!"_

"More threats,"  _Peach thought to herself snidely. He always did that. Whenever anyone questioned his opinions or made him feel uncomfortable, he would lash out childishly. But those threats could only protect him for so long. How long could Bowser stay voluntarily ignorant of reason?_

_Bowser took a large bite from a leg of meat and smirked at Peach's silence. He was certain he had finally intimidated her enough to shut her up. But her silence didn't last long._

_"You are very proud of who you are," Peach stated, looking at Bowser thoughtfully. As she expected, he didn't have any qualms answering this question._

_"Of course! I am the best! Everything I am and have is what the entire world dreams of!" Bowser stated with pride. He would have continued, but Peach cut him off before he could go on a rant._

_"You kids are practically a spitting image of you," Peach proceeded. At this, Bowser paused and looked at her quizzically. She could practically see the gears begin to turn in his mind as he thought over her statements._

_"What are you getting at?" the Koopa King asked warily after a few moments pause._

_"It only makes me wonder…" Peach muttered. For a second she stopped and thought over what she was about to say. It was definitely risky..._

_As she spoke, a Koopa servant came out of the kitchen and made his way to the pudding stained floor with a mop in his hands._

_Peach continued after a moment of contemplation, "As similar as your children are to you, why aren't you more proud of them?"_

_The servant Koopa blanched, turned face, and walked back into the kitchen._

_Bowser's face turned beet red and the utensils in his claws bent in his fists. Peach tried to keep her composure but she had obviously struck a very deep nerve. Deeper than she had originally thought. The King's eyes turned vicious and smoke began to roll from his nostrils._

_"I t-think I have overstayed my welcome, excuse me," Peach said, forcing her voice to sound as polite and graceful as possible._ _Her hands shook as she put down her fork and stood from the table, giving Bowser_ _a slightly unbalanced curtsy._

 _"Who do you think you are mocking me in_ MY CASTLE?! _" Bowser roared furiously. He took hold of the table and threw it to the side. Peach fell back into her chair and cringed as the King stomped forward and took hold of the arms of her seat, pinning her to the spot. She flinched as she felt his scalding hot breath almost burn her skin._

_"Bowser… I'm s…" the princess whimpered._

_"I am King Bowser Koopa! KING! You will learn that or I'll…" Bowser snarled ferociously but he didn't get to finish his threats._

_"Your Ferociousness! Mario's here in the castle! He has already destroyed the first-floor dungeon!" Kammy the Magikoopa shrieked as she burst through the dining room doors._

_Bowser's grip loosened on the chair as he looked up at Kammy seriously. His face was still red with anger but his focus had been completely diverted. Using this distraction to her advantage,_ _Peach slipped out from under his arms and ran for the open door that Kammy had left wide open._

_"Princess!"_

_Peach could hear Bowser running after her. Panic coursed through her veins as she ran as fast as she could down the winding hallways. She paid no attention to what direction she went or which doors she opened. She just needed to get away from him._

_"Princeeeess!" Bowser called again as he searched. "Damn her! Why can't she just listen to orders! This isn't the place to…"_

_*Thunk! Crunch!*_

_Bowser's sense of smell was suddenly overcome by the scent of blood._

_"No."_

_He ran down the halls and turned several corners_

_"No…"_

_When he finally rounded the last corner, his eyes widened in horror._

_Mario was kneeling on the floor with Peach draped in his arms._

_"What have you done, Bowser?" Mario asked wretchedly. Bowser stood in stunned silence, looking at the bloodstained ax hanging from the doorframe and then at the unconscious princess who had a large laceration on her shoulder._

_"What have you done?!" Mario yelled, bringing Bowser out of his stupor._

_"It… was an accident. The traps… they were for you," Bowser choked as the scent of Peach's blood made him sick._

_Mario scowled at him and picked Peach up as gently as he could. He winced as her wounded shoulder started to saturate his shirt with blood._

_"Kamek!" Bowser called. The Magikoopa popped out of thin air._

_"Yes, Your…."_

_"Send them home," Bowser ordered. Mario and Kamek looked up at the Koopa King in surprise._

_"… But, Your Mercilessness, we have the best hospi…." Kamek began to argue._

_"Send them back! NOW!"_

_"Yes, Your Odiousness…" Kamek answered sadly. With a wave of his wand, Mario and Peach were transported back to the Mushroom Kingdom._

_Months went by before Bowser could sleep through the whole night without being woken by nightmares. Even then, the fear on Peach's face and the smell of her blood haunted him both day and night._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser stood awkwardly outside Peach's hospital room as he turned this memory over in his mind. The King grimaced and stared at the door. He didn't know why, but over the past three days, he would always find himself back at this spot. Memories from his past drew him to the princess, but he still couldn't quite understand what was so important about... this...  _her_.

Before the day Peach had finally woken up, Kamek had told Bowser everything that had happened over the previous week. According to the Magikoopa, a subordinate had betrayed Bowser and ended up killing him. It was with Peach, Kamek, Kamella and Toadsworth's help that he had been brought back to life. However, he had somehow lost a fraction of his memory on the journey back. From what Kamek could tell, Bowser had lost more than five years of his memories and it would probably take him a few months of magical treatment before he could regain his memories.

 _"My wife is dead and I haven't remarried but I have been kidnapping a human woman and... my kids call her Mama,"_  the King thought to himself.  _"Did I lose all sense of pride?"_

"She isn't here right now, Your Malevolence." Bowser flinched turned his head.

"Damn it, Kamek!" Bowser glared at the old man. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the Magikoopa's presence. "…Where is she?"

Kamek hesitated momentarily, "Dr. Yoshi moved her temporarily so the floor in this room can be… repaired."

"I didn't ask  _why_  he moved her. I asked  _where_ ," Bowser frowned impatiently.

"… to the last room down the hall," Kamek said with some reluctance.

"Tell Dr. Yoshi that I will be visiting Princess Toadstool shortly," Bowser grunted as walked down the hallway in the direction Kamek had pointed.

"Your Stubbornness, wouldn't it be best to let the princess rest?" Kamek nervously suggested. "She is probably sleeping. The sun has been down for hours…"

Bowser paused. He hated to admit it, but Kamek was probably ri...

A loud bout of laughter came from the other side of Peach's door as the Koopas stood in the hallway.

"That sounds like the Koopalings' laughter," he grumbled in irritation. The little punks were supposed to be banned from seeing the princess until she was healthy enough to withstand their meddling.

"That or the doctor went to check on her. He can be quite funny at times…" the old Magikoopa chuckled as convincingly as he could. Bowser ignored him and began to walk faster. Kamek quickly waddled after him as he made his way to Peach's door. "Wouldn't you rather talk to her tomorrow when she has had more rest? The pain medicine can be very influential on human minds!"

"Kamek!" Bowser growled, laying his hand on the doorknob. The Magikoopa stopped talking but still looked as if he was trying to muster up more excuses to stop the King from seeing Peach. When had this old man ever become so protective? "I am going in there whether you like it or not! I am the King of this castle so I can go wherever I want whenever I want! Now stop muttering and…"

Bowser stopped midsentence when he looked through the window on Peach's door. All of his children - all eight of them - were leaning on the sides of Peach's bed. There were bedtime story books strewn all across the floor, but Peach took a small and unimpressive looking picture book in her hands and began to read.

Half of the Koopalings were already asleep from the last story she had read while the rest tried to stay awake as best as they could. Even Bowser Jr., who had a terrible attention span, was using his thumbs and index fingers to part his eyelids so he could stay awake as Peach read. The little Koopaling looked bound and determined to stay awake.

The King stood in the window and watched silently, removing his hand from the doorknob. Kamek gave a silent sigh of relief.

 _"I should never have worried about her,"_  Kamek smirked at his King whose eyes were transfixed on the moment unfolding before him. With a wave of his wand, Kamek disappeared, leaving them to have their moment.

 _"I remember this story…"_ Bowser thought to himself as Peach read through the little storybook in a singsong voice.

.

. . . . .

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_Bowser heard her voice as he walked past her open door. His eyebrows creased at this. It was very unlike the princess to leave her door open like this. Any other time, she would lock it and push a table in front of it so it would be harder for anyone to get in without her knowing._

_The curious and mischievous part of Bowser wanted to peak through the open door and see what the princess was up to. The lazy side of him didn't want to bother. If she found out he was spying at her door, he would have to deal with an angry princess for the rest of the weekend until Mario came and 'rescued' her._

_He shook his head. It wasn't worth it._

_Just as he passed her door and made his way down to the end of the hallway, he heard a different voice coming from her room._

_"Momma Peach?" a small voice whispered._

_"Yes?" the princess answered quietly._

_"C-can you read me... a bedtime story?" the little voice asked nervously._

_Bowser's curiosity turned to anger. He had told those little runts to go to bed hours ago!_

_"I would love to."_

_His anger subsided slightly as he heard a genuine kindness in Peach's voice that he rarely heard. There was no edge, malice, or disdain in her tone as she spoke. Instead, she sounded positively happy to fulfill the Koopaling's request. He stepped nearer to the door and leaned his shoulder against the wall so he could listen closer._

_The Lonely Little Star who danced in the sky,_

_Didn't know what to say when the Clouds rolled by._

_So he huffed and he puffed to catch their eyes,_

_But the Clouds turned away, saying, "No one likes a huff and puff guy!"_

_._

_The Lonely Little Star saw the_ Sun glow _hot,_

_So he flamed and he flared to get a second shot,_

_The Sun shook its head and turned bright red,_

_saying, "No one likes a flame and_ flare _Fred!"_

_._

_The Lonely Little Star turned away from them all_

_Until he heard a voice from someone quite small._

_There on the Earth was a pretty Blue Jay,_

_He perched in his nest and began to say,_

_._

_"Oh, Sun in the sky, please grant me a wish!_

_There is someone far away who I truly miss."_

_The Sun nodded proudly and gave a large smile,_

_"I can brighten the sky so you can see for miles!"_

_._

_The Sun began to grow making all things bright,_

_But the Blue Jay squawked and sadly cried,_

_"The light won't help me for I am blind,_

_But thank you very muchly for being so kind."_

_._

_"Oh, Clouds in the sky, can you grant me a wish?_

_There is someone far away who I truly miss."_

_The Clouds swirled and curled around with glee,_

_"I can clear the air so you can fly safely!"_

_._

_The Clouds quickly dispersed, hiding in the West,_

_But the Blue Jay groaned and solemnly expressed,_

_"My wings don't work so I stay in my nest,_

_But thank you very muchly for trying your best."_

_._

_The Sun and Clouds couldn't believe what they heard,_

_Could no one help the poor little bird?_

_There had to be some way to grant his wish,_

_After all, there was someone he truly missed._

_._

_"Oh, Star in the sky, please grant me a wish,_

_There is someone far away who I truly miss."_

_The Lonely Little Star felt its heart crinkle,_

_saying, "All stars can do is wink and twinkle."_

_._

_So the Lonely Little Star did just that,_

_It winked and it twinkled,_ fip _-_ wip _-_ skiddat _!_

_"I might as well try, though I know they'll laugh,_

_If the bird does too, it won't matter a sclaff."_

_._

_But no one laughed or snorted or giggled,_

_Instead, the Sun and Clouds seemed quite riddled._

_For when the Star stopped, they all heard a whistle,_

_There she was! A whistling green-shelled turtle!_

_._

_The Blue Jay smiled, he sang, and he hollered!_

_"There she is! You're finally here!" he called her._

_"Oh, thank you little one! How lucky you are!_

_"From this day on you'll be my Lucky Star!"_

_._

_From that time forth, the now Lucky Star_

_Became the most wished on by far!_

_No longer Lonely, no longer sad,_

_And loved by all who wishes had._

_When Peach had finished reading, a long silence filled the warm atmosphere. Bowser's curiosity grew like a balloon in his chest._

_Just one peak. That's all he wanted._

_Bowser laid his hand flat against the wall to steady himself as he leaned forward on the balls of his feet. The moment his face poked around the corner he knew he had either made the best decision_ _or worst mistake of his life._

_There, in her bed lit by a small bedside candle, sat Princess Peach in a ruffly light-pink nightgown with her hair in a messy braid. In her arms laid a sleeping spiky-shelled Koopaling who had his red hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a white bandana around his neck with a mouth drawn on it._

_Peach giggled softly and gently brushed some stray hairs off of Bowser Jr.'s face._

_"Don't worry," she whispered to him and rested her cheek on his forehead as she hugged him to her chest. "Momma Peach will make sure you don't have anymore more nightmares tonight."_

_Bowser Jr. snuggled into her arms and gave a sigh of contentment as he slept._

_The balloon of curiosity that had inflated in Bowser's chest popped and replaced itself with something much heavier and almost sickening as he stood in the doorway watching the women before him._

_That was it. The King's mind was fixed. That night a silent vow was made..._

**_To never not kidnap Princess Peach!_ **

_Dignity, be damned!_

_Pride, be shitted!_

_Self-respect, be f*****!_

_Horah for the I_ _rremediable_ _King! GWA HA HA_


	31. Does He Remember?

By the time Peach finished the story and closed the book, all of the Koopalings had fallen asleep. She smiled at them and rested her head against the headboard of her hospital bed. As she looked around, she noticed a shadow in the window of her door. A bashful smile spread across her face and the shadow flinched.

The doorknob turned slowly. Peach's smile tensed a little when Bowser stepped into the room. He cringed a little as the floor squeaked under his weight.

"My apologies, Princess," Bowser whispered as he stood by the door awkwardly.

"No apologies necessary… It is your home after all," Peach answered softly. Bowser scratched his head self-consciously.

"… I mean… I'm..." he winced at the taste of the words on the tip of his tongue and hoped to the Stars that the princess would finish the sentence for him, but she remained completely silent. "Suuuwrrw..."

"You're... what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Bowser made a noise that sounded like a mixture between a huff and grunt.

"I'm SORRY," he blurted out in frustration. He glared at the ground and stomped his foot with a mixture of embarrassed shame and anger on his face.

Peach watched him for a moment and then clicked nails together. Bowser's fists clenched as the silence grew longer. Was she really not going to answer after...

"What are you sorry for?"

A look of shocked incredulity washed over his features.  _"For not throwing you in the dungeon and letting you starve!"_ is what he wanted to say... but he clamped his mouth shut and continued to stare at the floor. Only when the rumbling anger in his chest died down did he trust himself to speak.

"I... regret scaring you, Princess. It wasn't my intention," Bowser said as convincingly as possible. He even looked up at her as he spoke in order to make it seem more meaningful. But his words didn't have the effect that he had been hoping for. Instead, the polite smile that the princess wore after he spoke made her look... distant.

"Thank you for your apology, your Grace. We have both had a rough time recovering."

His discomfort grew more after she spoke. She hadn't forgiven him...

"Kamek told me you lost a lot of your memories. Have they started coming back yet?" Peach asked him quietly, averting her eyes from his face. Bowser noticed that she drew her hands closer to herself and fidgeted with the fingers of the hand she had touched him with a few days ago.

"Not much. But I do remember the first time you read that book in my castle," Bowser muttered as casually as possible. Her eyes flicked back up at him.

"I don't remember reading this while you were around. I only ever read it to the Koopalings when they couldn't sleep," Peach said, slightly bemused.

"You didn't know I was there," Bowser stated simply. "But it was then that I realized how much you…" His voice caught in his throat. He didn't quite know how to explain what he had realized. What  _had_  he realized?

"Princess, I…" he took a small step forward and the floor let out a loud *Creaaaaakkkk!*

At that moment, all of the sleeping Koopalings began to stir and both of the royals froze. Luckily, none of the little ones opened their eyes and they drifted back into a heavy sleep. Bowser gave a sigh of relief and looked back up at Peach giving her an apologetic smile.

"I'll text Kamek and have him send them to bed," the princess whispered.

"When did that old coot get a phone number? And why do you have it?" Bowser asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her.

*click, click, click*

Peach smiled and sent the text.

"I'll bet he doesn't even know how to open the messa…" Bowser mumbled.

*Vppp*

She grinned and turned the screen of her phone towards Bowser triumphantly. The message said, _"Brt."_

"My gods… he did it," Bowser muttered.

Only a moment later, Kamek appeared with Kammy. Almost as quickly as they had come, they disappeared along with all of the Koopalings.

"I'm still not impressed. That dingbat still doesn't know how to send you a proper message. Just nonsense letters," Bowser scoffed, happy to finally be able to speak at his usual volume.

"Bowser, 'brt' stands for 'Be Right There'. He knows perfectly well how to text," Peach scolded him light-heartedly.

"Holy hell… Kamek's secretly a millennial," Bowser muttered in disbelief.

Peach tried to fight it by pursing her lips, but a small smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. The look on her face only made Bowser want her forgiveness much more. He didn't want her to hold back her smile.

"I really am sorry Peach," Bowser mumbled. "I honestly didn't know...well... I didn't remember who you were at first. It took me a couple days before I started..."

Something in Peach's demeanor changed as he spoke. A timid but genuine smile crossed her face.

"I know, Bowser," she said simply.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"Peach, I care about you,"_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser laid in bed and idly searched the ceiling as he thought over what he had seen in his sleep. Had all of those dreams been memories? Kamek had said that the memory magic he used would be disorienting, but it was the quickest way of getting back all of Bowser's memories. Not only were the memories scatted and mismatched but the emotional baggage of each was the most confusing part. He had remembered Clawdia's funeral, the party Mario threw for everyone back in 2005 and some of his Council meetings. But most importantly, he remembered more about Princess Toadstool. Her favorite foods, her daily schedules when she was in the Mushroom Kingdom, the things she liked to talk to Daisy about over the phone and, even better, the night they KISSED!?

Bowser dragged both claws through his hair and yelled into his pillow. He grinned like a lunatic as he rolled around on his bed and kicked his legs giddily. His heart couldn't take the hype.

"Ahem!"

Bowser flinched and sat up in his bed to see Kammy the Magikoopa standing at the foot of his bed.

"Your Brutishness, the Council is waiting for you to start this morning's trial," Kammy announced plainly, obviously used to Bowser's erotic mood swings. "Here is the file for the case."

He took the envelope from her claws and set it down on his bed. "Start the trial without me. I'm going to visit our guest," Bowser decided with a grin.

"But you have to be there to give the prisoner a sentence!" Kammy exclaimed with a look of aggravation crossing her wrinkly features.

"The sentence will be… An eternity locked in the lowest dungeons of the castle! I'll sign the forms later," Bowser said impatiently as he got out of bed and slipped his shell on with a loud *thwa!*.

"Your Fierceness, this must be taken care of  _now_ ," Kammy argued firmly. "Afterwards, you can visit Peach. Besides, I just checked on her and she is still asleep."

"But…" Bowser frowned.

Kammy shook her head and grabbed his beefy arm. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared and took Bowser with her to the courtroom.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

*knock, knock*

"Come in," Peach called.

Bowser opened the door and grinned. "Good morning, Peachy! Miss me?"

"Good morning, Bowser," Peach said with a tired but cheerful smile.

"Peach, I have a favor to ask," he said thoughtfully as he pulled a chair up next to her bed. She looked at him curiously and nodded. "Can you help me make sense of what I remembered last night?"

"I will try my best, but I might not be able to clear everything up," Peach answered simply.

"Okay! So... Mario! He is an actual plumber and he isn't just called that because he uses pipes to travel?

"Correct," Peach answered.

"Alright. What about our adventure together? The whole thing lasted about seven days, right? The first day I  _invited_  you to my castle and the eighth day was when Kamella attacked, right? What happened in between those days?"

The princess pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Actually, the whole fiasco lasted nine days. The first day, you kidnapped me and I left for Sarasaland. The second day, you..." Peach's face went a little red. "You found me and you made me drive the Koopa kart. The third day was all traveling..."

"And we almost smashed into a massive rock!" Bowser interrupted her.

"Yeah... Anyhow, the fourth day was mostly traveling but we finally made it to Sarasaland and you went back to the Dark Lands. The fifth day I stayed in a hotel but the sixth day I left in the evening to find Pauline, Mario's fiancé. That was also the night I left Pauline'shouse with you and stayed in a hotel. The seventh day we traveled for the Mushroom Kingdom and then stayed at another hotel. It was the eighth day that I finally made it back home, making it the ninth day when Kamella attacked."

Bowser watched Peach curiously as she lost herself in thought. There almost seemed to be a hint of sadness on her face but he couldn't understand why. Maybe there was a memory he was still missing. He vaguely remembered all of those days except the eighth. But that didn't really matter. There was only one question he had for her and it would put everything right again. With this one question, they could start back up where they had left off.

"What happened the last evening we stayed in a hotel together?" Bowser asked eagerly. The princess choked on her own surprise.

"What? (cough, cough!) I mean…" Peach's face grew bright red and she began to play with her hair nervously. "What do you remember about that night?"

Bowser leaned forward to watch her closely as he sat by her bed. Peach tilted her head down more and a veil of blonde hair covered her face slightly as she fidgeted with the stands anxiously. He smirked and said, "We were fighting about…  _something_  when we got to the hotel. I don't really remember what, but then we…"

"King Bowser!" Kammy shouted as she opened the door to Peach's room. Both Bowser and Peach jumped a little in surprise at her sudden appearance. "The council is in an uproar! I am sorry, but we need you to come back and finish the trial."

"Can't you see I am busy? I'm talking to Princess Peach! Besides, I already finished the trial," Bowser growled.

"Sir, in most instances I would agree but in this one…" Kammy began.

"What trial?" Peach asked curiously. Bowser rarely had to sit in the judgment seat unless something affected the royal family directly.

"The trial was for Kamella Koopa," Bowser grumbled in frustration.

"Bowser sentenced Kamella to spend the rest of her days in the castle's underground jail," Kammy answered matter-of-factly. "But then he decided to skip the rest of the trial, leaving Kamek in charge. Who, by the way, is now trying to get a unanimous vote for Kamella to be set free."

"WHAT?!" Bowser shouted. He got up and ran out the door but looked back at the princess. "I'll be back." Before Peach could answer, Kammy waved her wand and they vanished.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The courtroom was filled with boos and jeers by the time Bowser showed up.

"Kamek! What are you doing?" Bowser snarled. He had been so close to having his golden moment with Peach! So. Damn. Close.

"Apparently wreaking havoc, as usual, your Highness," Kamek said thoughtfully as he stood at the podium. Kamella was quietly standing in the middle of the courtroom floor with chains hanging from her wrists and ankles while the rest of the room fell into chaos.

"Why are you trying to free Kamella of her life sentence? After everything she has done?" Bowser asked angrily.

"Because Kamella has already been given a sentence by Peach herself," Kamek stated.

"Peach slept for ten days straight and is still recovering from two broken ribs and multiple bone fractures, you old kook!" Bowser snarled.

"Your Nastiness, I was there when the Judge of Magical Law allowed Peach to sentence Kamella," Kamek explained. "If you don't believe me, ask Peach."

Bowser's anger was quickly replaced with confusion as the courtroom around him continued to rage with yells of objections and arguments.

A new collection of memories started to tug at his mind, but he couldn't think with everyone screaming.

"Enough!" Bowser shouted. The room silenced immediately and all eyes settled on their King. "This trial will be postponed until further notice. Take Kamella back to her cell and lock her up tight for the time being. Make sure she's NOT comfortable." Though the courtroom filled with groans of protest, the crowd began to disperse.

"Take me back to Peach's room, Kamek," Bowser ordered irritably. Kamek nodded and waved his wand.

In a blink of an eye, they were both standing outside of Peach's hospital door. Bowser knocked on the door and opened it to find the princess where he had left her only moments ago. She remained quiet as both the Koopa King and the Magikoopa made their way in.

"Princess, I am sorry to disturb you while you rest. In truth, it is Bowser's fault. Heeehehe," Kamek said mischievously.

"Yes, I gathered as much," she chuckled and winced as the pain in her side increased.

"You better watch yourself, old man," Bowser growled warningly when he saw the pain on her face. "Princess… the Court of Magical Law. What was Kamella's sentence and who gave it to her?"

"The Judge of Magical Law allowed me to pick her sentence. I chose for Kamella to fulfill all of the promises that she has not kept," Peach stated honestly. Kamek coughed into his claw trying to hold back his laughter. Bowser ignored him and continued to look at Peach seriously.

"Was the judge dressed in red?" Bowser asked.

"Yes," Peach answered, feeling some hope rise in her chest. Bowser's face became unreadable, but he kept his eyes locked on hers as if looking for something. Peach held his gaze and kept her breath even, trying to keep her face from changing colors.  _"Does he remember?"_  For a moment Bowser looked like there was something he wanted to say but then he decided against it.

"Kamek," Bowser said, looking away from Peach for a moment to get the old Magikoopa's attention. "Call the jury and take me to the courtroom." Kamek wiped his eyes as he chuckled and pulled out his wand.

"Princess, I didn't get to say it before, but you couldn't have given her a better punishment. Heeeehehehe!" With that, both of the Koopas disappeared leaving Peach alone to her thoughts once more.


	32. The Knight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the love! I always look forward to your reactions :3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"Bowser. We aren't compatible."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was late in the evening by the time Peach finally started to feel herself tire. For hours, she had been trying to ring the energy out of her over-excited brain. Then again, she wasn't really interested in sleep. Bowser was at the forefront of her mind and, though she felt uneasy when he was around, she hoped that he might visit. For as long as she knew him, he had always been prone to stay up late and wake up much later the next day.

For the hundredth time, Peach glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was already 2 a.m. and there was no sign of life stirring outside her door. Disappointment rose and fell in her stomach as she tried to reason with herself.

 _"Bowser is probably already in his room. Kamek said that using magic to help bring back his memories would take a toll on Bowser. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already sleeping,"_ Peach thought to herself.

*Creeaaaak*

Peach's thoughts halted and she held her breath to listen closely to her surroundings.

*Creak...*

This time, the noise was softer but Peach was sure there was someone in the hallway outside her room.

*creak, creaaak*

There was only one person in this castle who was this terrible at sneaking around.

*cr-cr-cr-creeeaaak*

The princess giggled to herself. She could picture the look of frustration on Bowser's face with every step he took. No matter how quickly or slowly he tiptoed, there was no way for him to make any silent progress. As if he came to the same conclusion that she had, the sound of the creaking floors stopped for a long moment and then renewed.

*Creak, Creak, Creak, Creak, CREAK...*

*click*

"Good evening, your Loudness," Peach welcomed him cheekily as a pair of red eyes peeked through the crack of her door. He turned his head and cursed under his breath.

"May I?" Bowser asked, opening the door farther so she could see a red glass vase with all sorts of expensive flowers stuffed into it.

"You may," she answered, not bothering to keep her excitement hidden. Bowser pushed through the doorway and gave a small smile as he set her flowers on her nightstand.

"Did I wake you? I thought you would be asleep by this hour," Bowser said as he seated himself on the chair by her bed.

"No, I have been awake since you left. I couldn't bring myself to sleep," Peach answered, smiling at him brightly. Bowser didn't seem to know what to say to that. He tried to return her smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. If anything, he looked strained. She made a note of this and tried to keep the conversation going. "How did Kamella's case go?"

"Fine, I guess. She was let off," Bowser answered with a shrug. "Kamek was right. The sentence you gave her was much worse than locking her up." He chuckled a little and looked at Peach with a hint of pride in his eyes.

"Why? Are there really so many promises that Kamella hasn't kept?" Peach asked curiously.

"According to Kamek, she has been breaking deals with people since the day she was born," Bowser said thoughtfully. "The chances of her fulfilling all of her broken promises are slim to none." Peach looked down at her hands and smiled a little. Even though Kamella was still out there, the Magikoopa would be forced to face the trouble she had caused, and Bowser would be safe. The princess brought her gaze back to Bowser who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. His stare was unreadable.

"Bowser, are you okay?" Peach asked, with some worry in her voice. He blinked.

"I am in better shape than you," Bowser answered with a smirk as he sat forward and rested his chin on her bed near her shoulder. He waited for her push him away but she smiled and brought her hand to his hair, ruffling it a little. His heart gave a loud thump as her fingers played with his hair.

"Peach?" Bowser grumbled uneasily. She looked down at him and hummed in response. "Thank you for saving me." Peach's hand stopped twisting his hair momentarily.

"Toadsworth, Kamek, and Kamella saved us," Peach answered, looking up at the ceiling.

"But  _you_  saved  _me_ ," Bowser said seriously. "I still haven't remembered everything, but I know you were the reason why I made it back." Peach's hand twirled in his hair slowly as she thought about what he said.

"You're welcome, Bowser," she whispered.  _"Should I bring up what I said that night?"_ she wondered silently. Maybe a part of him didn't want to remember. That would be understandable after the way she had treated him.

"By the way, I talked to the doctor. He thinks it is best that you stay here to rest for another week or so before transporting you back to the Mushroom Kingdom. I hope you don't mind, but you will be staying here for safekeeping," Bowser explained with a smirk. He looked at her as if daring her to protest.

"Well, I guess the doctor knows best. Bring the phone to me if my Council calls. I will tell them that I am here of my own free will," Peach said casually.

"You're... not mad? You'll stay willingly?" Bowser asked, shocked by her agreement.

"If you will allow me to," Peach answered with some hesitation. Bowser swallowed and tried to look unaffected by her decision.

"Of course, Princess," he said with a smile. It had to be a trick of some kind. She would probably try to escape while his guard was down. But he couldn't resist her now. He was mesmerized by the way her hand glided through his hair. A groan of protest escaped his mouth when Peach pulled her hand from his hair and moved up the bed so she could sit with her back against the wall. She was wearing a pink nightgown with short lace sleeves. Standing, it probably would have hung to her kneecaps. Sitting, however, the gown barely reached the middle of her thighs.

Bowser didn't really know where to look when her bare leg brushed up against his nose. He almost flinched when he felt her hands cup both sides of his face and led him to lay his head on... her lap?!

*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek*

The bed creaked a little as he moved but he was pretty sure that the shrill high pitched noise had been the sound of his soul screaming.

Peach shifted her legs under his head so they would be more comfortable and gave a sigh of contentment, "There. Much better."

"Peach... I'm not sure..."

"Sh! Your hair is a tangled mess," she stated curtly.

"I brushed it this morning," he grumbled defensively.

"Well..." she took her right hand and began flipping it through his hair wildly. "I don't think I believe you. Your hair is a total  _mess_!" she giggled as she pulled on strands of his hair to make it look as disheveled as possible. Bowser didn't know what to say. This couldn't be the same woman who had despised him. The same woman who wouldn't even allow his servants into her room. Was there really so much that he had forgotten?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"You complete the heart that I never knew I had."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser winced.

"Relax," Peach cooed softly as she smoothed his hair. It was as if she had flipped a switch. The thoughts he had lost himself in vanished and he became aware of himself again. The tension in his shoulders and his grip on her bed loosened. His eyes drooped and he gave a long sigh, allowing his stress to melt away. His mind grew hazier as her other hand joined in to help untangle a rather meddlesome knot. It took every ounce of willpower he had left to keep himself from groaning with pleasure. At this point, she had already trapped him - Chain, bars, and lava pit. Not that it mattered. Why should it? She was irresistible and he remained blissfully motionless under her gentle fingers.

But the moment was cut short.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

Peach freed her fingers from his hair and picked up her phone from the nightstand. A grin crossed her features when she read the name of the caller and she took the call eagerly. "Daisy!"

"Oh, Peachy! It is so good to hear your voice!" Daisy exclaimed happily. "I tried calling you before, but no one answered! Where are you? Is it true you are in Bowser's Castle? What the hell is going on?!"

"Calm down, Daisy! I am perfectly fine! I promise!"

Bowser snorted at her and Peach gave him a silent glare.

"I mean... I did get a little beat up, but Bowser's servants have been taking very good care of me," she said a little sheepishly, glancing at Bowser with a small smile. "As for any of your other worries, I am  _completely_ fine."

"So you  _are_  in Bowser's Castle..." Daisy muttered more to herself than anyone else. "But that's not important now. Peach... have you heard about your dad?"

"... I heard," Peach answered, her eyes lowered slightly.

"I am so sorry, Peachy," Daisy said sadly. "If you ever need anything, Weegee and I are always here."

"Thanks, Daze," Peach answered, her voice a little quieter than before.

"When are you coming home? The authorities of the Mushroom Kingdom have been chewing at the bit to talk to you and confirm whether your father..."

"Died naturally," Peach finished for her. "I..."

*knock, knock*

Bowser looked towards the door and moved to lift his head, but Peach pushed his head gently back down on her lap.

"Hey, Daisy? Can I call you back in a minute or two? Someone is at the door," Peach asked politely.

"Oooohhhhh! Do I smell a handsome Knight?! Angarde, my  _able-bodied_ friend!" Daisy yelled enthusiastically.

A loud shuffling noise came from the phone and Luigi's shaking voice spoke, "A Knight?! How big is he? Make sure you are in a room with loootsa carpets!"

"Ohhhh Weegeeeee... Not that kind of Knight," Daisy pouted and wrenched the phone from his hands. "Anyhow, Peachy! Make sure he is hot under the armor! WAIT! Do you have  _protection_?! I can send you a box..."

Peach's face went pure scarlet. She tried to end the call but her clumsy fingers kept hitting every button except the massive "End Call" button. A small shriek escaped her lips when the phone slipped from her hand and landed right in front of Bowser's face.

"...I have all sorts here that have tastes too! Did you know they make Bacon flavored...?!" Daisy jabbered excitedly.

"Shut up... shut uppppppppp!" Peach whispered loudly under her breath as she tapped the screen frantically.

*Tap! Tap! Taptaptaptap... Smack!*

Finally, the phone was silent. Peach carefully set the phone down on her nightstand and began smoothing her nightgown, completely avoiding Bowser's stare. But if she had looked at him, she would have seen a look of confusion mixed with amusement. This amusement, however, began to fade when he thought over what Daisy had said. He hadn't even thought about it, but Peach's father and Toadsworth would have to have a funeral. However, it didn't sound like it would happen until there had been a full investigation. They would need her for that. The council only had so much authority...

And then a new question crossed his mind.

*Knock, Knock!*

Peach and Bowser both flinched at the sudden sound and looked at the door. They had completely forgotten that someone had been waiting outside the door.

"C-come in!" Peach called.

The door swung open and a white Shyguy waddled in with his face buried in his clipboard. He looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but the sound died in his throat almost immediately. His eyes widened when he saw Bowser beside Peach's bed and the clipboard began to shake in his hands.

"Hello! Don't worry! You aren't intruding," Peach waved to him with a smile. The Shyguy gave her a careful nod. "Did you need something?"

The little white coated Shyguy toddled up to Peach and held out the clipboard. The princess bent her kneck slightly and bit her lip as she read the scribbles.

"Oh! You are here to make sure my pain medicine is working. Yes! I feel really good. I only feel pain when I talk too much or laugh too hard. Does that sound about right?" Peach asked.

The little man nodded at her and took his clipboard back. Before he turned to leave, he rummaged in his white coat and pulled out a pink and white spiraled sucker. Peach giggled as he handed it to her.

"Thank you," she smiled widely, kissed the tips of her fingers and transferred it to the forehead of his mask. The Shyguy wobbled a little, touched the spot on his forehead in surprise and then scurried out the door.

Bowser snorted as the Shyguy closed the door behind him. "Half of my staff has gone missing these past couple weeks. Now I know why."

"Oh, stop it," Peach chastised him and folded her arms self-consciously.

"No! I'm serious! That Shyguy? His name is Skee and he is the Royal Vegetable Chef! I don't miss him much; otherwise, I would order him back into the kitchen! Gwa ha!" Bowser explained, giving Peach an impish smirk. Normally, Peach would scold him for not eating properly but, to his surprise, a genuine smile broke across her face. How could she be mad at him when he laughed like that? She had missed that sound. How long had it been since she had heard him laugh? Two or three weeks?

"Peach, can I ask you something?" Bowser asked, his face suddenly becoming very serious. Peach, still avoiding his eyes, began whipping her hand through his hair wildly. When it became knotted and messy again, she started smoothing it out.

"Ask away," she answered.

"What are you going to do about your counsel?" Bowser asked. "They will expect you to get married as soon as possible and I heard Mario is getting married in the next few months."

"They won't have to fight me for it. I am twenty-three which is far past the expected age for royalty to marry. The council can keep things afloat while I recover and…"

"And find a husband," Bowser finished for her shortly. "The whole idea is asinine. Your kingdom needs a leader more than it needs normal tradition."

"I am not against getting married. As the last of my bloodline, I know my place in this fiasco. Besides…" Peach trailed off and gave him an embarrassed glance.

"Besides... what?" Bowser asked as a burning curiosity filled his stomach. She had changed her mind? Why?

"Well..." she brought her eyes to his and forced herself to hold his gaze. "I-I might already have someone in mind."

Bowser almost choked.

"WHAT? W-who?! But Mario is…? Do I know this guy?" Bowser stammered, lifting his head to look at her closer.

"Silly Koopa… Do you still not remember?" Peach asked with a soft smile. There was only one way to get him to understand. She lowered her hand from his hair to his jaw and pulled him closer. A beautiful shade of pink bloomed on her cheeks as she leaned forward and pursed her lips... but Bowser pulled away too quick. A stoney frown crossed his features and the warmth in his eyes instantly turned cold. A shiver ran down Peach's spine as he sat back in his chair and stared at her, clenching and unclenching his fists on the arms of his chair.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

Daisy was calling. Neither of them moved to pick up or silence the little pink phone. After a few moments, the phone finally went silent.

When it was quiet again, Bowser opened his mouth to speak.

*Bzzzz….bzzzz...Bzzzz….bzzzz….*

An irritated growl exuded from Bowser's mouth as he got up from his chair. His eyes flashed a bright bloody red.

"Bowser?" Peach asked cautiously. He didn't answer as he lumbered towards her hospital door and turned the handle. A sense of panic filled Peach's heart. Had she crossed a line? "Please don't go, Bowser... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Goodnight, Princess," Bowser said, glancing back at her before he closed the door behind him.

"Bowser!" Peach called after him but he was already gone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bowser stomped down the halls in a blind rage. He came across Kamek, who tried to speak to Bowser, but his advances weren't heard or seen. Bowser was too deep in his own thoughts to be reached.

Who could be worthy enough to so much as catch Peach's eye? What had Daisy said? A knight? In armor? He didn't know anyone like that! Had his memory of this  _oh-so-_ _perfect_  guy been lost along with the last five years of his life?

Bowser punched a random wall angrily and smoke began to escape his nostrils. By the time he reached his bedroom, the hallways were filled with smoke, fire alarms were going off, and Goomabs with red hats and buckets of water began scrambling stupidly in every direction.

 _"I'm a King! A man of great strength and power! I have all of the money, protection, and love that she could possibly ever need! What does this moron have that I don't?!"_  Bowser thought to himself.

_"I can do all of those things. You know I can give you anything you ask."_

_"What about human children?"_

Bowser gripped his head and groaned. His anger was suddenly replaced by devastation as Peach's voice began to ring in his head. He had forgotten... She had told him before.

He spent the rest of the night alone in his bed. His kids were probably out creating trouble that would have to be cleaned up in the morning, Kamek and Kammy were both off doing... whatever they do, and the rest of the castle was quiet. Or at least relatively quiet. There were still one or two fire alarms that the Goombas hadn't smashed yet.

A long two hours went by before Bowser finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

.

. . .

_"Please... I'll do anything."_

_. . ._

_._

Bowser woke up in a cold sweat. His head swam with thoughts and emotions that he couldn't shake. Peach had said so many sweet words in his dream. She told him that she lied and that her hurtful words meant nothing. That he was enough and always would be. But her body turned to dust in his hands and the Koopa King was left alone in a dark room filled with her cold voice.

_"You will never be enough for me."_

He hissed as he crawled out of bed and slammed his fists on the floor. The wooden floorboards cracked and splintered under his immense strength and a few of the pictures on his walls fell. Taking a long ragged breath, he rolled onto his back and growled. Peach may have brought him back from the dead but that didn't mean he was worth anything to her alive. He was still only the bad guy in her eyes. Only a monster. Ugly... foul...

The lonely ache in his chest that he had once forgotten returned ten fold, knotting up his soul, and leaving him utterly broken.

"I don't want to remember anymore."


	33. Painted Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are wondering, this is the last memory! We will be back on track soon :3

"Nurse? Could we take a closer look at the painting in this room?" Peach asked eagerly.

"Of course, Princess," the nurse Koopa smiled politely and turned Peach's wheelchair into the ballroom.

This was a very unique room when compared with the rest in Bowser's Castle. The floors were made of several different kinds of wood, each a different color. Every board had been specifically cut to create intricate patterns on the floor. The walls were all white and embellished with gold moldings to the point that it almost looked tacky. Every door, window, mirror, and corner was smothered by gold decorations and statues. It was over the top and showy, but stunning to look at - maybe even awe-inspiring.

Peach barely noticed when the nurse finally brought the wheelchair to a gentle stop. A strong bought of nostalgia washed over the princess as she examined the massive painting hanging on the wall before her.

The colors, the faces, the smell of paint... It hadn't been that long ago, had it?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_"Are you alright, Miss?" the young green-shelled Koopa servant watched the princess with a worried look on her face._

_"Hmmm? Oh... Yes! I'm fine. I was just thinking about how... interesting this painting is," Peach pointed to the massive picture hanging on the wall of the ballroom. The servant looked up at the painting with an odd expression on her face._

_"Yes... I suppose it is in a way. This is probably the most expensive piece of art in the Castle. It has hung in this very spot for centuries," the Koopa said with some distaste. "Queen Stefani Koopa, who ruled over two centuries ago, was a great lover of art. She filled her castle with every kind of art she could get her claws on. This painting, however, was one out of two or three prized possessions that she treasured above all others. Because of this, the Queen cast a spell on it so that it would never be affected by time. The spell worked so well that it made the painting virtually immovable and indestructible."_

_"How did they get it into the room in the first place? The frame is too big to fit through any of the doors or windows. Is there any historical meaning behind it?" Peach mused, leaning forward to study the painting closer. The brush strokes were light and airy, only leaving enough detail to show_ _black and gold f_ _igures dancing across the painting._

_"The canvass was stretched and painted in this very room. The artist was not allowed to leave this room until his work was finished. They say it took him several months," she explained. "Also, it is nothing if not historical... look at the painting closer. Who do you see?"_

_"Dancers? Nobles? Ummm..."_

_"Koopas. Koopas of a certain kind of breed," the Koopa stated with a frown. "There are no other races. Now, look at the inscription on the frame of the painting."_

_"_ Golden is the mind ruled by blood _," Peach read out loud. "I have read that before somewhere..._ _"_

_"Probably. History books love to bring up our past less than amiable rulers... Anyhow... It was once believed that Koopas with dragon ancestry were gods... Pure Bloods... They were worshipped as rulers of the Stars themselves. Everything in the Dark Lands was theirs and the people who were not 'pure' were mere dirt under their claws. The Royal Koopas had many children but stayed relatively small in number. Despite this, they would not permit any of their pure blooded relations to marry outside of their circle because mixing blood would contaminate their purity. The general public was also taught to believe that Royal Koopa blood was actually liquid gold and that all gold originated from the Royal Koopa Family's veins. Most citizens of the Dark Lands wouldn't even touch a gold coin for fear of being punished or cursed," the Koopa explained._

_"But gold is the main currency of this world. They couldn't keep people from paying for food or clothes, could they?" Peach asked in astonishment._

_"The Royal Koopas were the only ones allowed to accept or use gold. The rest of the Darklandians used coal and precious stones to pay for things they needed."_

_"But that's terrible..." Peach frowned and her hands clenched the fabric of her pink dress. "How could they lie to their Kingdom like that? There had to be someone in their family that knew this was wrong."_

_"Queen_ _Stefani Koopa_ _wholehearted believed that their blood separated them from all other races of the world. She was also known for spreading rumors and myths that would bring her citizens to fear the Royal Family. However, her son did not agree. He openly opposed the views of his family and tried to reason with them. Legend says that the Koopa Queen denounced him as a son and cast him out of the Dark Lands. Other legends say that his mother killed him and his blood for this painting - hence, the gold paint. There are a lot of different stories about what happened to the Prince, but no one knows what really happened. All we know is that he did not become the next ruler and the throne was given to his younger brother when the Queen was no longer fit to rule."_

_Peach turned her eyes from the painting and raised a quizzical brow, "What happened to her?"_

_"She lost her mind," the Koopa woman said with a small smirk._

_Peach shivered slightly. The longer she looked at the painting, the more uneasy she felt._ _"You said it is immovable?"_

_"Bowser has brought many magic wielders to the castle. None of them could budge it."_

_The princess reached her hand out to the painting and then pulled her hand back hesitantly. A normal Preservative Spell would have made her fingers tingle but this spell was different. It felt... big. As if it was preserving much more than just the painting... She was intrigued by the feeling and tried reaching her hand forward again. Her fingertips were just close enough to graze a streak of gold paint._

_Bowser's voice rang through the ballroom, "NO! Don't let her touch it!"_

_It was too late. The princess gave a startled gasp when the painting rippled like the surface of colored water and then sucked her in._

_._

_. ._

_Peach opened her eyes and blinked several times in surprise, but that was all she could do. She couldn't move anything but her eyes. The muscles in the rest of her body felt heavy and limp. Looking around, she tried to see the rest of her body, but all she saw was a picture frame surrounding her. It was as if..._

_"... I'm stuck in a painting," Peach thought to herself in shock._

_"Scum... You are unworthy to step foot in this holy sanctuary!" a high-pitched and gurgly voice bellowed. Peach blinked and turned her eyes toward the source of the noise._

_"I'm sorry! I lost my way! I didn't know this was..." a shivering voice squeaked in terror._

_"Guards! Take this disgusting sight away from me. She needs to be... purified," the woman commanded angerly._

_It was Queen Stefani Koopa herself. Or at least, that is what the giant gold plaque at the foot of the throne said. The crown on her head was massive and made out of gold like the rest of her apparel. Her dress, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and shoes were all gold and perfectly polished. Her charcoal-black lipstick and eyeshadow were the only other colors she wore except for her_ _straight blood-red hair that hung straight from her head to a pool on the floor and threatened to hide her face completely. Luckily, she had a rather large snout that kept her veil of hair parted enough so that her blazing red eyes could glower at the unworthy trespasser standing before her._

_"Nooo! Please! I promise you will never see me again if you let me go! I didn't know, I swear!" the little Toady cried._

_"Kah! Kah! Kahhhh! You knew very well where you were, little missy! But it is fortunate that you came to us. We can fix what ails you and purify the sickness within you! Take her to Evan," The Queen cackled and nodded towards her guards. The golden Dry Bone Koopas standing in the corners of the room staggered forward and grabbed hold of the Toady._

_"Please! I'll do anything!" she sobbed hysterically. "I'LL DO ANYTHING!"_

_._

_. ._

_Screaming... So much screaming._

_How had she gotten here anyhow? Hadn't she just been in the throne room?_

_Peach wished with all of her heart that she could move her hands to cover her ears and block out the terrible noise. Everywhere she looked, she saw prison cells filled with people - sad and lost people. People who needed help._

_She knew where this was. These were the dungeons under the Dark Lands Castle._

_"Evan, dear, are you making any progress?" the Queen asked hopefully._

_A Shyguy dressed in black nodded._

_"Good. I am putting all of my faith in you. These people need to be cured of their impurity soon or we may lose them forever," she stated with sadness. Her regret might have been more convincing if it hadn't been for the demented smile on her face._

_The Shyguy nodded again and bowed to his Queen as she strode away. He watched her leave and then turned his face towards Peach._

_"Oh, my Stars... His face..." Peach gasped, completely horrified. Tears welled up in her eyes and as she hung silently on the wall_ _. How could this be the same castle? Granted, Bowser's Castle had always been chaotic, but it was a cheerful chaos. No one from her time would ever do such terrible things... Even Bowser..._

_._

_. ._

_Peach blinked and found herself hanging in a painting on another wall of the castle. It looked like a... chapel?_

_"My, my, my... What beautiful work, Vincent," the Queen praised the old red-shelled Koopa as he painted. Peach watched as he drew his paintbrush just under her eyes._

_"Thank you, my Goddess," he said with great reverence._

_"However," the Queen said with a colder tone. The old man flinched slightly and his brush stilled immediately. "I thought you usually kept the eyes of your portraits empty."_

_"My Grace? I have not touched the... eyes...?" he said with surprise. The artist turned and began to scrutinize the masterpiece before him. His face blanched._

_Peach felt fear flood her veins as his gaze met hers. He was looking straight at her._

_"I see... Then it seems we have a guest! Kah! Kah! Kahhhhh!" the Queen laughed as she took hold of the old man and threw him aside. The Royal Koopa stomped forward and brought her face close to the painting. Her red eyes bored down on Peach._

_._

_. ._

_A piercing scream ripped through the room and Peach felt herself fall forward, hitting the ground on her hands and knees. She looked in all directions and grabbed a handful of her own hair. A smile of elated disbelief spread across her face as she felt her head, face, and neck._

_"I'm me... I can move..." tears of relief filled her eyes and she laid on the floor, relishing the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed. After a few moments, she got to her feet and looked around. She was standing in the same chapel she had seen when she was stuck in the painting. "I didn't know Bowser's Castle had a chapel."_

_As the princess faced the back of the room, she took calming breaths until the adrenaline in her body began to subside. However, the longer she stood there, the more she began to notice something disconcerting. The room hadn't changed at all. In fact, it looked and smelled as if it had just been built. The ceilings were round and high, held up by round columns which were decorated with golden moldings. Each of the pews was made of some kind of black stone along with the rest of the furniture in the chapel. As fascinated as she was by this room, she didn't like how pristine everything was. There was no dust; the floors were shining and spotless; even the air smelled clean and crisp._

_"_ Did I go back in time? That couldn't be... If I had, the Queen would still be here," _Peach thought to herself._ _As she lost herself in her thoughts, she turned to look at the painting she had come from._

_A massive golden painting hung in the center of the front wall, outshining everything else in the room. It was a painting made of nothing but pure gold. Gawdy? Very. But every flake of gold seemed to glimmer in the light of the candles on the black altar standing just below it. Peach frowned at the painting as she studied the face that had been immortalized in gold._

_"Queen Stefani Koopa_ _... Of course," Peach muttered bitterly. Despite her hatred for the Koopa Queen, the princess leaned closer to get a better look at the eyes of the painting. They were empty. The curious side of Peach almost wanted to touch the painting to see if it would pull her in again; however, the smart side of her absolutely refused to chance it._

_What if the Queen found her again and she couldn't escape? ..._ _Peach shivered at the thought._

_*boom, boom, Boom, Boom, BOOM, BOOM*_

_*CRASH!*_

_Peach ran and hid behind one of the black-stoned columns just as the chapel doors were ripped off of there hinges and thrown down the middle of the chapel walkway._

_"PRINCESS?!" Bowser roared as he tore into the room and looked around wildly._

"Star crud..." _Peach cursed in her mind as she bit lip. After a moment's hesitation, she poked her head out from behind the column, "Bowser?"_

_He turned around and stared at her intensely._

_"I'm sorry, King Bowser Koopa... I didn't..."_

_Bowser gave a low growl and ran at her. Peach shut her eyes and lifted her arms to shield herself._

_"Don't you EVER DO THAT AGAIN," Bowser snarled as he grabbed her and almost crushed her in his arms. For a long moment, Peach hung his arms and awkwardly patted his shell._

_"I'm okay. Now... can you put me down?" she muttered quietly. He squeezed her and then gently set her back down on her feet. Just as he was about to pull away, she grabbed his arms and pulled him back._

_"The Queen's eyes," she whispered with wide eyes. Bowser's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced down at her._

_"Princess?" he asked in confusion, but she didn't look at him. Instead, the blood seemed to rush from her face and her eyes became fixed on something behind him. He turned to follow her gaze. Hanging before him was a portrait of an old ruler. The whole thing was made out of gold except for her ruby eyes._

_"King Bowser Koopa... her eyes..." Peach whispered in shock._

_"Yeah?" he grunted._

_"They are red..."_

_"Uhuh. Family trait," Bowser answered uncomfortably. "Anyhow, let's get you back to the library before you fall through any more paintings."_

_Peach ignored him and walked towards the painting. "Your intention was never to preserve the painting. It was to preserve yourself..._ _Let me guess, this is one of your 'prized possessions'," Peach glared at the painting. "Pure gold, just like your blood, right? Unchangeable, immovable, and immortal." Without really thinking about it, she strode forward, grabbed the corner of the golden frame, and tried to pry it away from the wall._

_"Okay, Princess. I think it is time for you to rest." Bowser grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the painting with a wary expression on his face._

_"King Bowser! The painting is a two-way portal! I fell into it and..."_

_"I know. We have had some..._ issues _with people falling into these in the past, but that's nothing new. Even you have one or two picture portals in your castle," he cut her off, attempting to calm her down._

 _"But these aren't normal portal paintings! I saw_ _Queen Stefani Koopa and the artist_ _! She can look through the paintings!_ _Look at her eyes! The painting didn't have red eyes when I first got here! They are her_ actual eyes _!" Peach explained frantically._

_"Princess Toadstool..." the King groaned impatiently. "Have you never heard of a Boo before? They love haunting paintings AND they have red eyes! It's kind of their thing!"_

_"The picture of the Queen is alive! I saw her when I fell through the painting in the ballroom! She left the eyes empty so she could look through them!" she argued fervently._

_"She died over two centuries ago! You probably saw a statue of her or something," Bowser shot back, anger building in his chest._

_"UGH!" Peach yelled in frustration. A part of her was embarrassed for acting and speaking in such an unladylike way, but she had to get the Darklandian King to believe her. These paintings had to be destroyed._

_"_ _Fine, then let's make a deal," Peach stated with crossed arms._

_Bowser straightened up slightly and watched her out of the corner of his eye with slight interest. "I'm listening..."_

_"I'll make you a huge_ _and SUPER special cake if you take that painting off the wall," Peach offered._

_"Oh, please. Baking doesn't cost you anything but time," he remarked indifferently._

_"How about... A new and improved Koopa Kart? It could be super monstrous and fast!"_

_"I have a weaponized airship the size of a small island and more money than I know what to do with. No... I want something much more_ personalized _... Something that no one, not even time, could take away from me," Bowser explained, an impish glint flickering brighter with every word he spoke._

_"Well, then what do you want?" Peach asked skeptically._

_"A makeout session with you."_

" _A-absolutely not!" Peach squeaked, mortified by his imprudence._

_"Then, I guess we'll never find out what's really behind the painting." Bowser turned towards the door and waved his claw dismissively._

_"Wait... How about ONE kiss...?"_

_"How long?"_

_"... five seconds," Peach grimaced._

_Bowser turned back to her with an eager grin and stuck his hand out to her. Peach shook her head and stuck her pinky out to him._

_"You're kidding," Bowser scoffed._

_"No pinky promise, no deal," Peach stated simply._

_He stared at her pinky and gave a sigh. Reluctantly, he stuck his pinky out and touched it to hers._

_"It's a deal," Peach muttered stiffly and uncurled her pinky from his._

_Before she could retract her hand, Bowser grabbed it, leaned forward, and purred in her ear, "Get ready to speak French, Sweetheart."_


	34. The Golden Ghoul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! >;)

_Peach's eyes widened and she pulled away from him. "Wait! Not that kind of kiss! I only meant..."_

_"The deal has been made, Princess Toadstool! Pinky promise! Remember? Gwa ha ha!" Bowser threw his head back and laughed arrogantly. He kept a hold of Peach's hand and laid his other claw on her lower back, forcing her to stay where she was. Peach could hear alarm bells start ringing in her head._

_"King Bowser Koopa... What are you...?" the princess stammered anxiously. He dipped his head down so that his eyes were level with hers._

_Her alarm bells were going wild now. She tried to pull away from him, but his hands only tightened around her and pulled her closer the more she fought. He was too strong. A sense of panic took over as she fought his grip._

_"I love you."_

_The princess stopped dead. "What?" The question escaped her mouth before she knew she had opened it._

_"I would give up half... maybe even my whole kingdom to hear those words from your lips," the King muttered gently._

_Peach was stunned. Was this... was he being serious? The angry, prideful, conceited, infuriatingly stubborn Koopa King was confessing to her?! But he hated her! He ravaged her kingdom, took her away from home, and ruined all of her plans._

_"King Bowser Koopa, I..." Peach began but he cut her off._

_"Call me Bowser. **Please** , Princess," he said with a slight wince and Peach's jaw threatened to drop and unhinge from her face. Bowser watched her expression and gave her a timid smile. This expression didn't fit him. He had to be acting. Even his demeanor had completely changed. He almost looked... vulnerable._

_King Bowser, the monster, was vulnerable._

_Shocking. That's what it was. How long had he had these feelings? Peach had never been sure he had any feelings at all. He was always rude, teasing, and prideful. Then again, she had to admit that he had improved since the first time she had met him. Granted, he always went out of his way to provoke her and try to get her to 'loosen up' and 'get mushroom out of her ass', but he didn't threaten her anymore. She had even heard him say 'thank you' to one of the servants last week. Could that change be because...?_

_"You can't... You don't mean that," Peach stated, trying to appear confident but the sound of her voice sounded very uncertain. He tilted his head closer and studied her for a moment._

_"What would you have me do to prove it?"_

_The princess turned her head away from him in an attempt to find something else to look at. "Nothing. You're not my type anyhow." ...That came out colder than she had intended. The words had definitely sounded a lot less bitchy in her head._

_Bowser flinched and averted his eyes from her face. For a moment, Peach could have sworn she had seen a sad and hurt expression cross his features, but it didn't last long. His gentle grip on her hardened and his eyes grew a dangerous bright red._

_"Then I guess I'll just have to take you against your will!" Bowser growled angrily. "Kamek!"_

_*pop*_

_The blue-robed and wrinkly old Magikoopa materialized almost immediately. "Yes, your Boisterousness?"_

_"Get out your book and turn Peach's dress white. It's about time I had a Queen for my Kingdom!" Bowser stated, dragging Peach forward towards the chapel altar._

_"No! Let me go, King Koopa! Unhand me!" Peach yelled in fear as she tried to fight his hold on her. "You can't just force me to..."_

_"Of course I can! I can do and have anything I want! And mmmmm, Princess Peach..." he turned to her, scraping his eyes up and down her figure. "I want your beauty, and your kingdom more than anything in the world."_

_The hungry look in the King's eyes was frightening. To think that she had pitied him for even a moment. That she had actually wondered whether he had any proper feeling at all. How could she have forgotten who or what he was?_

_"Hold still, Princess," Kamek smiled excitedly as he flicked his wand and sent a burst of magical shapes in her direction. She tried to duck out of the way, but Bowser held her still. The moment the shapes made contact with her, the pink color almost seemed to bleed out of her dress. In a matter of seconds, her whole outfit had been changed white and a veil appeared in her hair. "Ah... and to top it off..." Kamek drew his wand again and gave a lazy swish. Peach cringed as a bouquet of piranha flowers bloomed in her hands._

_"Kamek. Are we ready?" Bowser asked impatiently._

_"I still need to find the book for Koopalic wedding vows. It hasn't been used in years..." Kamek stated anxiously. A moment passed where Kamek went silent and looked as if he wanted to speak but Bowser cut him off._

_"Well?! Go find the book!" Bowser yelled angrily. Kamek hesitated for a second and then disappeared. The Koopa King growled a few insults under his breath and then turned his attention back to Peach. As soon as his eyes found her, his anger ebbed and a smile spread across his face as he looked at her in her make-shift wedding dress. Peach frowned at him and turned her head away defiantly._

_"Aw, come on, Peach..." Bowser said almost tenderly. "Our Kingdoms will be unified and peace will finally resume. It is a win-win situation!"_

_The princess stared pointedly at the wall, careful not to look at the altar or the King standing with her next to it._

_"I'll treat you with all of the love and respect in the world! I can give you anything - be anything! No one can make you happier than me... I know it," he continued, trying to catch her eye again. "Maybe we can even... be a family..."_

_"...ssssssssssssssss..."_

_Both of them turned their heads toward the front of the chapel as stone bars fell over and blocked all of the doors of the room. The altar candles blew out, but their light had been replaced by the eerie glow of the golden painting._

_"...deeeefilerrrrsss..."_

_*SHLICK...*_

_A large transparent golden blob dropped out of the painting and plopped onto the floor. "How dare you bring such filth into this castle..."_

_Bowser's hopeful expression broke into a malicious grin as he took his battle stance and pulled Peach to his side protectively. "Well, I didn't invite you so..."_

_The golden blob shivered with anger and began to take shape. A large Koopa snout and long strands of weightless hair began to sprout from its head. Clawed feet and hands came next, but the tail remained a ghostly whisp. "Insolent child! I will not allow my castle to be polluted any further!" Queen Stefani yelled furiously._

_"Says the radioactive Wiggler fart! Gwa ha!" Bowser smiled impishly and popped a mushroom into his mouth._

_*BudalaBudalaBudala!*_

_Peach stumbled back as Bowser grew twice his size. The black-stoned chairs made loud scraping noises as they were pushed aside by Bowser's hulking figure. "By the way, great great great great... great?... Grandma, this is **MY**  castle!" he roared at the golden woman._

_"We'll see about that," Queen Stefani stated with an evil grin. Her blood red eyes watched Bowser disdainfully as he opened his mouth and let out a long breath of fire. When he ran out of breath, he shut his mouth and growled. The ghostly figure stood completely unaffected by his attack. The walls and furniture of the room looked untouched by the scorching flames as well._

_"Kah! Kah! Kah! You have no power that will work against me, Polluted one," the Queen laughed maniacally. Bowser growled at her and brought his fists down where she stood. The room shook and the golden candles on the altar clinked together. Peach stepped away and used on the stone columns to steady herself._

_The King frowned to himself and lifted his hands. Stefani wasn't there. The golden glow of the woman had vanished and the room became pitch black._

_A scream came from somewhere behind him._

_Bowser squeezed his eyes shut and scowled. "You hurt her and I'll make you beg to go to hell," Bowser snarled, turning his head towards the glowing strands of light that had entangled themselves around a frightened princess._

_"A dirty being such as yourself can't hope to touch something as close to perfection as me," the woman said casually, allowing her hair to wrap around the rest of the princess's body like a coil of snakes._

_"Bowser!" Peach cried as the hair began to tighten around her and encase her body completely._

_"But don't worry too much. This filthy little whore will soon be purified and I'll teach you your place! I refuse to let my offspring defile our family's name!"_

_As she spoke, Bowser's rage flared and he bounded forward on all fours. With a quick swipe of his claws, he slashed through the ghostly queen and burned the ground where she stood. Seeing that physical attacks had no effect on her, Bowser pulled an old wand out of his shell and muttered a spell. Several red circles shot out of his wand and went straight through his target._

_"Kaaaah! Kah! Kah! How disappointing. A powerless and useless king... Maybe I should just dispose of you and raise your offspring the way they ought!"_

_As she spoke, Bowser ran forward and took a hold of Peach. In a desperate attempt to save her, he tried to pull her away from the bundles of hair. The moment he touched her, the scales on his hands grew hot. He groaned but put all of his strength into pulling the princess away. Despite Bowser's efforts, the hair tightened around her body and several loose strands lashed out at him. A snarl exuded from his lips as one of the strands pierced his right shoulder and a second whipped him across his armored chest. The blow pushed him back enough to break his grip on Peach._

_"Let her go!" Bowser roared furiously as he grabbed Peach's figure again. The smell of burning skin filled the air as he tried to pull her cocooned body away from the tendrils of hair. He grimaced as he felt his claws burn. There had to be something he could use. Some kind of old magic that would harm a spirit._

_Bowser looked all around the room, searching desperately for anything that could... There it was. The font of holy water. In a split second, he let go of Peach and ran for the back of the chapel where the holy water was being held in a large bowl by the entrance doors._

_*WHIP!*_

_The world around him turned into stars and he fell forward onto the ground._

_*Blurrr Blurrr Blurrr*_

_Bowser felt his body shrink and something warm run down the back of his neck. With a grunt, he lifted himself from the ground and began running for the font again._

_"Kah! Kah! Kah! Don't you understand, little Koopa? Your time is up!" the golden ghost laughed and sent more strands of hair after Bowser. He dodged most of the attacks, but some of them whipped at him, injuring him as he ran. With a hiss, Bowser ignored the pain and grabbed the basin filled with holy water. He gave a victorious whoop when he grabbed it in his claws._

_*Whip!*_

_Before he could react, two more strands of hair wrapped themselves around his legs and pulled him off the ground. Though he held onto the bowl of holy water, a bunch of it spilled on the floor._

_"I see you have a strong grip. Let's see how long you can hold onto your precious water," Queen Stefani cackled and clapped her hands excitedly._

_The hair around Bowser's ankles shook him upside down as he held onto the bowl like his life depended on it. Back and forth, up and down. Most of the water had been spilled, but he still hung onto the basin. The Queen shook him harder and then threw him against the columns. Finally, the bowl shattered and Bowser went limp in her grasp._

_"Awwww... Poor dear. Did your toy break?" she mocked him with a vicious smile. "Come and see Gammy Stefani. She'll fix everything. Kah! Kah!" With a swoop of her hand, her hair hung an unconscious Bowser in front of her. She stood behind him and studied his wounds for a moment with a look of disgust on her face. "Your blood is red. It seems you are no longer a pureblood."_

_"Mphhhmm," Bowser groaned quietly. The Queen made a quick hand gesture to her hair and it turned him to face her._

_*ssssssspppppttttt*_

_A stream of water burst from Bowser's mouth and doused her face and upper body._

_"AHHHHHhhhhhhhHHHHhhhh!" Stefani shrieked as her transparent form writhed in pain. The hair around Bowser's legs loosened and he fell to the floor. "YOU... WICKED CHILD!" she screamed as she shielded her face with her hands - but the damage was done. The hair on her head had begun to melt and drip along with her face and shoulders. The strands of long hair that had been untouched fell off of her melting head and laid motionless on the floor. However, none of the hair disappeared. Peach, though freed from direct contact with the Queen, was still tightly cocooned in golden hair._

_"My face... My beautiful, perfect face..." the golden ghost mourned, attempting to reform her snout with her melted hands. Bowser stood and watched her as he reached into his shell, pulled out another mushroom, and popped it into his mouth._

_*BudalaBudalaBudala!*_

_Queen Stefani flinched at the sound of Bowser growing bigger and stopped trying to remold her face. Instead, she glared at him with burning red eyes and a slanted scowl. "May the Stars witness your purification this day..." she gurgled between her melted lips. With a clap of her hands, a bright golden glow began to emanate from the portrait she had come from. Bowser frowned as smaller ghosts tumbled out of the frame. There were Yoshis, Shyguys, Koopas, and a couple of Goombas, each as golden as Queen Stefani herself._

_"All of my castle servants that fell through the enchanted paintings," Bowser muttered to himself and dragged his hand down his face. "You killed them and turned them gold so you could use them as your puppets... Peach..." His hand fell to his side and he looked over at the golden cocoon where Peach had been imprisoned. Something inside him plummeted and made him feel sick. How long did she have?_

_"Kill him!" the Queen screeched. Bowser retreated into his spiked shell and spun his way to the other side of the room. Just as he was about to pass Peach, he stuck his claw out and pulled her into his shell. The ghosts streaked after him like a swarm of fat yellow hornets. From one side to another, they chased him stupidly around the room._

_"Spread yourselves out and capture him, you half-witted changlings!" Queen Stefani seethed angrily as the group made another pass around the room. All of the ghosts stopped abruptly and began fanning out. Bowser's shell slowed and slid into an uninhabited corner near the front of the room._

_"Peach?" Bowser pulled at the golden hair that was wrapped securely around the princess. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll find a way to get you out of there. Just... give me a minute." He looked out of his shell and grimaced. The nearest ghost was a rather large Goomba who was charging in his direction. Bowser kept most of his body inside his shell but used his arms and legs to scuttled across the floor and dodge the waddling Goomba. However, the moment he had escaped the Goomba, he almost bumped into a Yoshi._

_Quickly, Bowser scrambled along the floor on all fours and made his way to the font where he had spilled half a basin's worth of holy water. The Yoshi threw a long golden tongue after him. The Koopa King avoided the attack but was soon within range of a few other ghosts as he scrambled through the room._

_"Don't let him get to that water!" the Queen commanded as she floated above the altar. All of the ghosts near the water hovered around it protectively while the ghosts surrounding Bowser began to chase after him._

_"Hold on, Peach... This is going to be a little rough," Bowser muttered, securing the stiff princess under his arm. Taking a deep breath, Bowser brought his extremities back into his shell and let out a large burst of fire. His shell spun rapidly and his flames filled the room. The sudden explosion of light stunned the ghosts and left them in a state of confusion. Using this to his advantage, Bowser drove his shell towards the back of the room where he could see a puddle of water shimmering on the floor._

_Relief spread through Bowser's chest and relaxed a some of the rising tension in his body. He slowed his shell's spin and reached a hand out to make a grab for the water._

_"Budum!"_

_A golden tongue intercepted Bowser and left a searing pain on the back of his hand. The Kings's relief disappeared instantly. Retracting his hand, Bowser grabbed Peach and quickly threw her out of his shell just as a group of ghosts ambushed him from all sides. Bowser let out a roar of pain as his attackers rammed into his back, burning his skin on contact._

_*Blurrr Blurrr Blurrr*_

_Bowser shrunk to his normal size and fell onto his face in with a grunt. Taking another deep breath, he breathed out another stream of fire. The flames weren't as bright as his last outburst, but it stunned the ghosts long enough for him to crawl forward and wet his claw in the holy water. Just as another group of golden ghosts bore down on him, Bowser balled up his fists and punched a Koopa ghost in the face._

_*BAM!*_

_Bowser's scaly fist connected and sent the ghost flying. All of the ghosts surrounding Bowser stopped to watch the Koopa soar through the air and crash into the floor near the foot of Queen Stefani's altar. The left side of the ghost's face had been melted and completely disfigured by Bowser's blow._

_All of the ghosts in the room hesitated and watched Bowser with wary expressions._

_"...W-what are you waiting for?! Get him!" the Queen ordered nervously. Bowser wet both of his claws and took his battle stance just as a wave of ghosts flew at him. He slashed the air wildly and felt his claws cut through the ghosts effortlessly. A savage smile spread across Bowser's face as the room filled with shrieks of pain. One after another, Bowser tore through the ghosts with increased vigor, tearing through them mercilessly. Several long minutes passed before Bowser realized that the ghosts kept coming back. No matter how melted they were, they continued to ambush him from all sides. Most of them were barely recognizable. Even the Yoshis were hard to tell apart from the Goombas._

_"Damn it," Bowser growled as he punched through another bunch of ghosts. His puddle of holy water was almost gone and his breath was becoming ragged. As he scraped his claws against the damp floor, he noticed a few of the ghosts sneak away from the majority of the group and make their way towards Peach's body which was lying only a few feet away. Bowser quickly clawed his way through the surrounding ghosts and positioned himself over Peach protectively._

_"Why do you insist on protecting those weaker than you - lesser than you?" Queen Stefani ranted furiously. "Your blood should have been pure, but you tainted it for some slut! Do you have no SHAME? You could have been a god! You could have been worshipped above the stars!" She floated from the altar and scowled at Bowser as he slashed through the golden ghosts and kept them from getting too close to Peach's imprisoned figure._

_"And yet, I have already lived longer than you did," Bowser snarled defiantly as he continued to fend off the unrecognizable ghosts. "Crazy ass people like you are the reason why my Kingdom is still a mess!"_

_Bowser's muscles were beginning to shake from stress and his claws were drying. There was no more water and no sign that the ghosts were going to stop coming. Time was running out and Peach was still wrapped in a cocoon of golden hair... She was probably already..._

_"YOUR kingdom?! Only the worthy can claim the throne! You can't even get a human woman to take you! Moaning and pleading after her like a BEGGAR!" Stefani yelled in anger._

_"I can have and do anything I damn well please!" Bowser roared. "And after she marries me, I will have our children PISS ON YOUR GRAVE!" As his last words left his mouth, he felt his claws grow hot. His eyes widened and his anger turned into desperation as he tried to slash at the ghosts. His hands burned as they went straight through them. The holy water had dried. He was out of time._

_The Queen gave a shriek of pure rage, "YOU CALL YOURSELF A KING?! PITIFUL, IMPURE-LOVING FREAK!" She flew forward and smacked Bowser across the face as the rest of the ghosts lashed him from all sides. Before he knew it, Bowser found himself on his hands and knees, covering Peach with his own body. The ghosts' attacks went straight through his shell and burned his skin. He cried out in pain and tucked his face under his arms as he laid over the princess, willing himself to stay upright._

_"I'm sorry, Peach."_


	35. Suck It

_*VVVUUUMMM SQUI-POP!*_

_Bowser moved his arm from over his eyes cautiously so he could look around the chapel. A flash of light lit the room and a tornado-like whirlwind took hold of a stunned Queen Stefani. Slowly, the wind sucked the shrieking Koopa Queen into a long vacuum hose and out of sight. The rest of her_   _goonies scattered around the room in a state of panic._

_*CHACK!*_

_Another blinding flash illuminated the room and two more ghosts were caught by the vacuum._

_"Woooaa he ha! Woaaoa ahh!" A short old man wearing a lab coat and thick circular glasses held onto the vacuum for dear life as the ghost fought to get away, dragging him around the room wildly. A few minutes later, the room had been cleared of all ghosts and the entrance to the chapel had been unsealed._

_Bowser gave a sigh of relief and allowed himself to fall onto his side with a loud thud._

_"Lord Bowser!" Kamek cried as he popped into the chapel and found Bowser lying on his side. As quickly as the Magikoopa had come, a floating stretcher materialized under Bowser and lifted him gently from the floor. "Gad! The King is injured! Take care of the painting while I take him to the..."_

_"Take me out of this room... and I'll gut you like a Cheep Cheep," Bowser warned him malevolently, pushing himself up with his elbow until he was in a sitting position. He winced as he slid off of the floating stretcher and stood on his feet. He slouched in pain as he stood beside Peach's cocooned body._

_"Is that... the princess?" Kamek asked in shock. Bowser nodded, picked her up from the floor, and laid her down on the stretcher._

_"Suku suku! I am too old for these kinds of shenanigans!" Professor E. Gad exclaimed and handed his vacuum hose to Bowser with a bubbly laugh. "Hold this. We'll get her out in a jiffy! Though, you might want to shut your eyes. Who knows what state she is in..." Bowser opened his mouth to protest but the hose gave a sharp jerk as the old man flipped a switch on the vacuum._

_The cocoon shuttered and strands of hair began to loosen until a thick lock of Queen Stefani's golden hair whipped free and got sucked into the hose. The cocoon began to spin and unwind rapidly. Suddenly, the last lock of hair untangled from around Peach's waste and flung her into the air. Dropping the hose, Bowser stretched out his arms and caught her before she hit the floor._

_"AHHH! Turn it off!" Kamek screeched as the hose latched onto his clothes, but Professor E. Gad and Bowser were both too preoccupied with the princess to notice his pleas for help._

_"_ Pea.. _Princess, are you okay?" Bowser asked in a worried tone. His eyes studied her body thoroughly. She didn't seem to have any injuries. He tried to move her so he could see her face but she hid it in the crook of his arm. "Princess?"_

_She shivered in his arms and refused to show her face. Bowser looked at Professor E. Gad in confusion, but the old man only shrugged and said, "I've never been good with women. Yabbo yabbo!"_

_Bowser groaned. "Kamek. Take us to... Dammit, you old twit." Kamek's clothes were ripping to shreds by the powerful vacuum and his arms were being sucked into the tube. The king stepped on the hose firmly and then kicked the old Magikoopa with his other foot._

_*Fooop!*_

_"Gahhhhh!" Kamek flew across the room, smacked into the golden painting, and fell onto the altar with a loud crash._

_The massive piece of artwork tilted and fell from its place on the wall._

_The moment the painting had been removed, the rest of the room began to delapidate before their eyes. Dust covered every surface, furniture started falling apart, the stone walls and the black-stoned columns began to crumble, and the once polished floors shook._

_"Ohhh ho ho! Looks like we have overstayed our welcome! Grab your shorts and run!" Gad yelled to them as he waddled hastily for the exit._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_"King Koopa, given your current condition, I do not think it wise for you to be out of bed. It will be a month or two before your injuries..." Professor E. Gad stated thoughtfully._

_"I've been through worse," Bowser answered as he casually sat in a large lazy boy chair farthest from the fireplace. Both Kamek and Professor E. Gad pulled a few more chairs up and made themselves comfortable as well. The group fell silent as they sat in their chairs and listened to the crackling of the fire. The castle library was the most neglected and, incidentally, the most peaceful room in the castle. It smelled musty and dry like the books it held and the lights above them were in desperate need of dusting. "Where is she?"_

_"On her way, I'm sure," the professor sighed as he straightened the thin tuft of hair that stuck out of the very top of his head._

_*Creeaaak*_

_The princess stood elegantly in the open doorway and nodded her head to the gentlemen politely. Kamek raised his glass to her, Gad waved good-naturedly, and Bowser winked while puckering his lips at her. Her face paled slightly when her eyes came to him, but her gracious smile never faltered. She walked into the room with a carefully paced step. Not too long or too short and just quick enough to make it seem like she was somewhat glad to be there. Gracefully, she seated herself into the last open seat beside the fire and sat with perfect posture._

_"How are you feeling, Princess?" Professor E. Gad asked curiously._

_"Perfectly adequate," Peach said happily. Bowser snorted into his claw and she threw him a disapproving look. The professor studied them over the rim of his circular spectacles and sat further back into his seat._

_"That's... very unusual. Good! But unusual," he muttered thoughtfully. "After studying each of the ghosts we captured, it is a miracle that you survived being encased in Stefani's hair. Even more astounding, is the fact that you escaped Vincent's paintings at all."_

_Peach's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "That's the name of the artist that painted for Queen Stefani! How did you know...?"_

_"I have been searching for Vincent Van Gore for years. He is well known for his living portraits and portal paintings," the old man answered._

_"Wait... Searching? You say that as if he is..."_

_"Alive? No, he is most definitely dead and has been for hundreds of years. However, he immortalized himself in one of his portraits and turned himself into a ghost. Even now, he is probably still out there creating his 'masterpieces'."_

_"So he sealed the Queen's soul into the portrait and... 'immortalized' her? Is that why she went mad and died at a young age?" Peach asked. Kamek and Bowser both looked at Gad curiously._

_"That seems to be... the pattern. You see, there are a lot of people who are afraid of what comes next after death or they have unfinished business they want to stay for. In order to avoid passing on, they pay Vincent Van Gore to paint their souls into his portraits so their spirits stay tethered to this plane of Existence. However, this procedure comes with a heavy price. When someone gives up their soul, they leave their body behind and give up whatever life they had left. Most of Vincent's clients didn't want to give their whole souls. They just wanted to live for as long as possible and then stay on this plane of Existence after they died. So... Vincent gave them what they wanted._

_"Instead, of taking the whole soul, he only took half of it. The first half of a soul would be left inside the client's body so they could continue living their mortal life. The second half would be painted into a portrait. After the client's died 'naturally', the first half would disappear to... who knows where... and the second half of their soul would remain on this plane of Existence as a ghost. It was the perfect plan! Until it wasn't. By taking half of a soul, their body was left half empty and very unstable. Some of the clients would lose their minds, others would become severely sick... but all of them died soon after Vincent split their souls._

_"The half of the soul that had been painted was never quite the same either. With half of the soul, Vincent could only take half of their personality, memories, and consciousness. They were never fully themselves. Of course, as a true artist, Vincent has continued perfecting his art. He has tried all sorts of different techniques to get the souls to become as flawless as possible. So far, his half-souled ghosts seem to be able to converse and complete small tasks. However, when they are left to themselves, they tend to act in a repetitive manner. I have a ghost at home who, when left to himself, stands at the window and spies on my neighbors day and night."_

_"That's awful..." Peach muttered._

_"Actually, he is a very good ally to have. Creepy? Maybe... Useful? Absolutely! Neighbors are much more avoidable when you have their habits and routines mapped out. Yabbo yabbo!" Gad chuckled._

_"No. I mean... it seems like an awful way to exist," Peach explained._

_"Ah, yes. Ghosts with only half of their souls tend to have morbid existences. However, ghosts who have their whole soul are a completely different matter. Vincent, for example, is a whole ghost and he has no trouble creating just as much trouble in death as he did when he was alive," Professor E. Gad shook his head tiredly._

_"Sorry to change the subject, but why were you so surprised that the princess was feeling well?" Kamek cut in curiously._

_"Because the paint Vincent uses draws the soul out of the body," Bowser answered, staring at Peach gravely. "That's why we never found any of the servants that fell into Queen Stefani's paintings."_

_Peach met his gaze with wide eyes, "The Yoshis? The Shyguys and Koopas?" Bowser's eyes studied her for a moment._

_"You were in the cocoon when they appeared. Could you see...?" the king began to ask, but Peach turned her eyes away from him quickly and turned her attention to Gad._

_"Those ghosts were real people?"_

_Professor E. Gad nodded his head and then leaned forward in his chair, "That's why we need your complete honesty. How did you survive being encased in Vincent's paint?" The princess lifted her head and found that all of their eyes were on her._

_"There is an old spell my mother taught me when I was a little girl... A simple cleansing spell that would keep me clean even if I was surrounded by dirt. It's the reason why my makeup, hair, and clothes always look perfect. As long as I am conscious of my own appearance the spell will stay in place," Peach explained quietly._

_"This spell... Can anyone use it?" Gad asked with a frown._

_The princess bit her lip, "Only if they have the ability to wield magic." The professor turned his eyes up to the ceiling and sat back in his chair. The room was silent, but no one moved to break it._

**_*BEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEP!*_ **

_Professor E. Gad jumped in his seat and looked around frantically. "Darwin's beard! Is someone attacking us?!"_

_Bowser chuckled. "Sounds like Mario found my decoy. He's gonna be so pissed when he finds out the princess is in another castle! Gwa ha!" Peach gave an exasperated sigh and got up from her chair._

_"Is there anything else I can help you with, Professor?" Peach asked kindly. He gave her a small smile and shook his head._

_"No. I am a man of science with very little aptitude for magic. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me a copy of the spell so I can keep it on record," he answered._

_Peach nodded, "I would be more than happy to." With that, she gave a well-practiced curtsy and bid the group goodnight. Bowser watched her leave and rubbed his hand against the lower half of his face thoughtfully._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_"Hello, Princess. Out for an evening stroll?" Bowser smirked. Peach flinched away from the sound of his voice. She had been reading the castle map in the moonlight, trying to find her way to her personal chambers in the dark hallways._

_"I-I just felt like getting a snack from the kitchens," Peach stammered nervously. The king chuckled and took the map from her hands._

_"You know you have room service, right?"_

_"It's late and I didn't want to be a bother..." she looked away and began playing with a strand of her hair._

_"Admit it, Princess. You got lost the moment you left the library." Bowser waved the map in front of her face and took it away when she tried to grab it from his claw._ _"You've been avoiding me," he stated with mock hurt._

_"N-no! Of course not! I just... haven't been feeling well! Professor E. Gad told me that I should rest after everything that happened," she answered anxiously._

_"Mmmm yes. He told me. He also told me that you seemed a little... on edge," Bowser smiled impishly at her, took her hand in his claw and kissed it while keeping his eyes on her. If eyes could start a fire, his could burn the castle down. "I wonder why that is?"_

_Peach's face paled and a shiver ran down her spine. "I h-have no idea what you are tal..."_

_"Do you remember our deal?" he asked in a low voice, playing will her fingers reverently._

_"...yes," Peach said weakly. A small squeak escaped her mouth as Bowser twisted her hand in his and pulled her into his arms with an eager expression on his face. The princess cringed in his embrace as he used his thumb to lift her chin up at the right angle. She closed her eyes tight and felt her whole body begin to shake as she felt him lean closer. His breath was hot and smelled strongly of mint._

_Was this really going to be her first kiss? Taken from her by callous and greedy lips. She had been saving her first kiss for someone kind and gentle like... Mario. Would he be disappointed or maybe even disgusted if he found out that she had been kissed by Bowser?_

_She didn't know how long she stood there, dreading Bowser's kiss. It was coming, she was sure of it. He was so close..._

_Peach felt him nudge her cheek gently with his nose and let her go. She opened her eyes and watched in disbelief as he began walking down the hallway he had come from._

_"... I don't understand," the princess muttered._

_"Kamek was the one that took the painting off the wall. I only nudged him in the right direction... Your chambers are down the hall to the left," Bowser stated flatly, not bothering to stop or look at her. Peach touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers._

_"B-Bowser!" Peach called down the hall. The dark figure at the end of the dimly lit hallway hesitated and came to a halt. "You can call me 'Peach" i-if you like."_

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_**Three Months Later** _

_A massive white box with a glittery pink bow sat proudly on Bowser's Castle steps. It came with a note._

Dear Bowser,

Thank you for everything!

~Peach

_Bowser grinned at the note, ran up to the box, and pulled on the gigantic pink bow. Immediately, the ties on the box loosened and all four sides fell to the ground. At the very front of the box sat a badass looking monster kart with spikes and a mean toothy grin painted on the front. Behind the kart sat a cake the size of a small house. On the top tier, Peach had drawn herself with Bowser, Professor E. Gad, and Kamek. The second layer had been decorated with a bunch of golden ghosts and the third layer had the words, "Thank you, Bowser!" piped in pink cursive letters._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

Peach smiled as she studied the painting in the ballroom. Lifting her hand, she drew her fingers gently across the paint. It was Bowser's flag insignia but painted in blood-red with a charcoal-black backdrop. Black words were etched into the bright yellow picture frame, "Suck it."

The princess coughed as she read the inscription and covered her mouth as her shoulders shook.

"Are you okay, Princess?" her nurse asked, in a slightly worried voice.

"Absolutely," Peach answered with a laugh. "I love this painting. I think it fits this room perfectly."

The nurse quirked an eyebrow at her and then lifted her eyes to the painting. The yellow clashed terribly with the gold moldings on the ballroom walls and the blocky insignia made no artistic sense when compared with the intricate floor patterns.

"Do you mind getting me a glass of water? My throat is feeling a little dry," Peach asked politely. The nurse nodded and left Peach by herself in the ballroom. A small smile lit her features and she sat back in her chair lazily.

"You only acted like you were going to marry me to provoke Stefani. You wanted to draw her out of the painting so Professor E. Gad could capture her," the princess spoke out loud.

Her words were only answered by silence.

"How did you tell Kamek that we needed Gad?" she asked, speaking a little louder this time.

"Sign language. I learned it when Lemmy was born. The doctors believed that he wouldn't have the mental capacity to learn how to speak properly," a deep voice answered from somewhere behind her. Peach smiled a little but stayed sitting forward.

"Did you mean what you said that day?" Peach asked.

... A moment of silence passed.

"I'm the best bad guy in the universe. I don't have to lie to be hated," Bowser finally answered. Peach twisted herself around and looked at the doorway.

He was already gone.

* * *

**Creative Question:**

Has Bowser's blood always been red?


	36. No Sense

**One Week Later**

Peach extended her hand and lifted her phone from the nightstand. With a swipe of her hand, the screen lit up and a tired groan left her throat. It was 2 a.m. in the morning and she was awake... Why?

 _"...another week before she can walk on her own,"_ a hushed voice spoke on the other side of her hospital room door.

_"Another week? I would have been healed and discharged by now. What are you doing differ...?"_

_"_ _Your Vainness,_ _your family line is another story altogether. Also, she is human, my King. Humans may have an aptitude for trouble, but they do not deal with the consequences nearly as well as our race does. The fact that she is even alive is..."_

_"Shut your trap, Doc, or I'll give you another reason to be in the hospital,"_ Bowser snarled.

The princess flipped her blankets off of herself and sat up with her legs hanging over the side of the bed. She frowned as she leaned forward and slowly allowed her feet to touch the ground. Her legs wobbled weakly as she attempted to stand and stagger towards the door. It felt as if her body had forgotten it had legs. Her muscles almost felt numb from underuse and her feet felt like blocks of heavy wood - large and clumsy.

She was halfway to the door when the floor gave a loud creaking noise. The voices in the hall became silent. Peach willed herself to walk faster, desperate to get to the door before Bowser left.

*click*

"Bowser?" Peach called, leaning on the door-frame carefully. The King's hurried pace faltered slightly, but he kept walking.

"Bowser!" she yelled loudly down the hall. This time, he came to a stop and looked back with an emotionless stare.

"Ahhh... Princess, it is good to see you up," Bowser stated civilly. "I will make sure to tell the doctor that you are well enough to walk."

Peach leaned harder against the door as her legs wobbled under her own weight.

Bowser's face remained impassive, but he seemed to study her closely. "Do you need something, Princess? I can call for..."

"Bowser, did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly. His eyes sparked to life a little, but he smothered it quickly.

"No. Of course not," Bowser said wryly. With a polite nod of his head, he turned around and walked until he had made it around the corner. Peach sunk to the floor as a familiar hole grew wider in her chest. While she sat on the floor, a white-robed Koopa passed by her as he studied the clipboard in his claws. Upon seeing something move in his periferal, he came to a stop and glanced at the woman on the floor. A look of pure shock crossed his face and he rushed to her side.

"Princess!? What are you doing on the floor? Are you all right? Nurse! NURSE! Help me take the princess back to bed!" the doctor shouted. Peach waved him off and used the doorframe to pull herself to her feet.

"I'm fine. I am sorry for worrying you. Can you call Willard, the red-shelled Koopa from the Transportation wing of the castle? Tell him that I want to go back to the Mushroom Kingdom as soon as possible," Peach stated decidedly.

"But your Highness, you are still healing and moving too much could throw your weeks of rest away!" the doctor exclaimed frantically.

"I will be fine," Peach said, making her way back to her bed to pick up her phone from the nightstand.

"Princess, at least let Magikoopa Kamek or Kammy transport you. That would make travel instantaneous. You will get there quicker and the risk of you injuring yourself is much less daunting," the doctor pushed.

"No, but thank you for your concern. I would like to speak to Willard and make my arrangements immediately," Peach stated. Kammy and Kamek would only stop her from leaving. She couldn't allow that.

The doctor sighed but finally agreed and left her sitting on her bed. He came back quickly with a wheelchair to take her to the Transportation hangar. Peach declined his kindness yet again and stubbornly began to walk there on her own. Her legs were beginning to feel more stable with practice, but her side was starting to hurt and small dizzy spells played with the edges of her vision.

The princess shook her head and stood as tall as she could. She would walk through Bowser's Castle with at least some of her dignity intact.

As the doctor and a couple of other nurses walked behind her, the doctor pulled a phone from his shell and lifted it to his head.

"Your Wickedness, the princess is making her way to the transportation hangar. She won't listen to..."

"Damn it." Bowser hung up on him, thought for a moment, and then began dialing another number on his phone. "She never leaves room for any peace of mind," he growled under his breath.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Please, Princess. Rethink this for your own well-being. The weather out there is awful," the doctor pleaded.

"Don't worry, doctor. I am sure I will be well taken care of, right Willard?" Peach said with a smile as the old man put his flight cap on.

"You know it, Pinky! I'll have you there in no time at all," the old Koopa agreed with pride as he slowly walked onto the wooden aircraft.

The airship was a miniature version of Bowser's flying pirate ship. On the back end of the ship, a plug door opened and a metal ramp extended towards the ground leading straight into the belly of the ship. Peach walked up the ramp behind Willard, only looking back momentarily to wave to the worried doctor and scan the room for Bowser one last time. There was no sign of him.

 _"It is for the best that he isn't here anyhow,"_ she told herself as she spun around and pressed a button for the ramp to retract and close the door of the ship. She walked farther in with her hand on the wall to find the light switch for the seating area.

*Click*

A string of lights around the cabin lit up the dark room and revealed a spiky figure sitting on one of the chairs. Peach gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. Bowser himself sat on a luxurious red couch with a glass of wine in his claw and his feet propped up on a glass table. The cabin almost felt like a living room rather than a form of transportation. There was even a fancy chandelier, fireplace, and a bar stocked with the most expensive drinks the Darklands had to offer.

"You know, I would have thought you had learned how to escape without getting caught by now, Princess," Bowser said darkly. Peach straightened up and crossed her arms with frustration on her face.

"I wasn't escaping. I knew very well that the doctor called you and let you know where I was. Besides, the last time I was in your castle you stated that I could leave whenever I liked," Peach remarked, turning her head away from him defiantly.

"Ah… I vaguely remember that." Bowser got up from his chair as he drained the wine from his glass and set it down on the glass table. He walked in her direction with a menacing stare in his eyes.

"Bowser, you can't stop me from leaving. I will get back home whether someone comes to save me or not," Peach stated confidently as she stepped away from him.

"Oh, I'm not here to stop you," he muttered. She held her breath and closed her eyes as he stuck out his claw.

*Click*

Peach opened her eyes in surprise. Bowser chuckled as he turned around and sat back down in his chair, staring at her with cold red eyes.

"What did you do?" Peach asked suspiciously, looking back at a circular green light that was now flashing.

"I sent a signal to the pilot to let him know we are ready for takeoff. I would suggest you sit down, but that is up to you, Princess," Bowser said casually, motioned towards the rest of the seats with a mock-polite grin.

Peach watched him warily as she chose a seat on the opposite side of the cabin beside one of the port-hole windows. Just as she sat down, the ship shuttered and began to move. She watched as they flew out of the castle hangar in the direction of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Why are you here if you aren't going to stop me?" Peach asked as she watched Bowser's Castle shrink away.

"I came to make sure everyone sees me give you back. Diplomacy," Bowser said dryly. Peach only continued to look out the window, trying not to take his words to heart. After a few minutes, she glanced back at him trying to find a hint of kindness on his face. Instead, he noticed her shift and looked at her with indifference in his eyes. She looked back out the window and began playing with her hair.

Two very quiet hours went by until they finally felt the ship set down with a jerk. Peach hissed under her breath as pain shot through her side, constricting her breath. Her medicine was wearing off and the pain was getting worse. Noticing her cringe, Bowser got up from his chair and made his way closer to her.

"Here we are. Ready to make me look good, Princess Toadstool?" Bowser grinned, puffing up his chest with pride. Peach only kept her face pointed out the window and continued to play with the hair around her face. Bowser stood behind her trying to get her attention, but she didn't respond.

"Princess?" Bowser asked again, leaning forward to get a closer look at her. The closer he got, the more he noticed a large dark splotch on the Princess's lap.

 _"Shit. Is she bleeding?"_  He took another step forward, put his claw on her shoulder, and pulled her around to face him. The splotch was gone.

"I think I can walk on my own, thank you," Peach said, keeping her face turned from him as she pushed his claw off her shoulder and stood from her chair. Her posture changed and she walked with practiced grace as she made her way to the back of the ship, ignoring Bowser's outstretched hand. She pushed the ramp button and, as it extended towards the ground, Bowser came to stand next to her.

The Mushroom Castle had received a call from Bowser two hours ago stating that he was bringing Princess Peach back. Naturally, word got out and droves of people came to see if the rumors were true. For them, it was impossible to believe that a fiend like Bowser would ever give up their lovely Princess. But all of them gasped in amazement as the door of the airship opened to reveal both Peach and Bowser standing next to each other. After a moment of silent shock, the audience began to cheer loudly.

Their Princess was home.

"Kind sir, I am sorry to have imposed on you for so long, but you bore it graciously. You have my sincerest gratitude," Peach stated and curtsied to Bowser with a tight but respectful smile. With that, she walked down the ramp and the castle servants parted the crowd as she made her way to the castle.

"Princess Toadstool!" Bowser shouted over the crowd. Peach came to a halt but did not look back. "...Be sure to give Mario and his fiancé my regards." Peach didn't answer, but she nodded slightly and entered the castle doors.

The Koopa King continued to stand as still as a statue, watching Peach until she disappeared behind the castle walls. For some reason, he had a strong feeling that he was missing something.

Something very important.

"You're an ass," Willard grumbled, startling Bowser from his thoughts.

He glanced down at the old red-shelled Koopa, "What did you say?"

Willard shook his head as he pushed the button to close the entrance to the ship. "I SAID YOU'RE AN ASSSSSSS," he shouted, exaggerating every word to make sure Bowser heard him clearly. "Damn, and they think I'm deaf…"

"I just sent the woman of my dreams back to her kingdom so she could star on the 'World's Most Eligible Bachelorette'! How am I an ass?!" Bowser shouted angrily, stomping forward intimidatingly.

"You made Pinky cry, ASSSSS," Willard stated, undaunted by Bowser towering over him.

"I didn't… S-she wasn't crying!" Bowser stammered with frustration.

"Right. And I suppose that puddle on her dress was just Yoshi piss. You're an ass AND a thickheaded moron," Willard griped as he walked back to the cockpit of the airship.

"Who do you think you are talking to?!" Bowser yelled. "I could have you hung for…"

"Yea, yea, yea… You think I was born yesterday? You'll just stand there and spit shit just like you did with that handsome young gall you ran off my ship," Willard grumbled crossly as he made his way to the control room. Bowser looked out of the window at the castle and hissed angrily.

"Just get this pile of garbage in the air and take me home!" the king roared and blew a stream of fire, charring the wall next to where the old Koopa stood.

Willard shook his head and stated, "Aye aye, sir. We will be off to your lonely little shit hole in no time." He closed the door behind him and sighed.  _"Sorry, Pinky."_

Bowser wobbled a little as the ship began to take off from the ground. He brought his face back to the window and watched as the Mushroom Castle began to disappear in the distance.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The servants, who had all been outside of the Mushroom Castle watching Bowser's ship skeptically, began looking for the princess. No one had seen where she had gone so, once again, the whole castle was in a panic. As all of the servants ran around the castle frantically looking for her, Peach hid in the mailroom.

Hundreds of letters were stuck all over the walls, but she knew this was the least busy room in the castle. The Parakoopas almost never used this facility more than once a day and there were mail shoots all over the castle so no one had to walk down to insert their mail into the mailbag. The princess could probably hide there for hours without being found. There was no noise, nothing to distract her, and no one to pester her as she sat in a corner on a pile of packing paper. She knew the whole castle was in a buzz, but the cement walls of the mailroom blocked it all out. The only noise that could be heard was the soft *drip* of her tears.

"I'm sorry, Bowser. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness…" she whispered sadly as she cried. If her ribs were in bad shape before, they were worse now. Her lungs were in so much pain that her breaths were becoming shallower and her vision was beginning to go grey.

"Princess?" a small voice called. Peach flinched and wiped her eyes in an attempt to see clearer.

"Toadette?" Peach asked in surprise. "How did you find me?"

"Everyone is searching for you like mad! I wanted to help, but they told me I was in the way, so I decided to come down here and wait for things to cool down…" Toadette explained nervously.

"Oh…" Peach opened her mouth to answer, but her head was beginning to feel heavy.

"Princess, you look rather pale. Are you okay? " Toadette said, looking at the princess closer. The little Toad gasped as the princess's eyes became unfocused and caught Peach as she lost consciousness. "No, no, no… Princess, don't fall asleep! I need to get help…" Toadette gently set Peach against the wall and dashed up the stairs as fast as she could towards the main hall.

"Help! The princess is in the mailroom and she is injured! Please get a doctor immediately!" Toadette yelled, trying to get as much attention as possible. In hindsight, however, this might have been a mistake. Everyone in the castle ran for the mailroom as quickly as they could, bringing all of their chaos and confusion with them. Because of this, it was almost an hour before the princess finally made it to the hospital.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Toadette watched as the doctors squabbled and argued over the princess's injuries but she was administered pain medicine regardless of cause or affliction. Luckily for them, that turned out to be exactly what she needed. Within the next hour or so the doctors all came to the conclusion that her ribs were fractured, her magic had been drained, and she had been put under far too much stress.

This didn't put the rest of the castle at ease, however. Only a week ago they had found the Mushroom King dead in his bedroom and now the only heir to the throne was battered, bruised, and broken. The princess had never been in such bad shape and all of them blamed it on one person - King Bowser Koopa.

The only person who wasn't sure about this hasty conclusion was Toadette. After all, she had heard Peach talking to herself about Bowser in the mailroom. The princess had been apologetic, not accusing. Besides, Princess Toadstool had only been harmed in Bowser's Castle once and she made it clear that it had been her own fault, not Bowser's.

It just didn't make sense.

The little pink-capped toad paced the halls outside the infirmary as she thought to herself. All of the other servants had been shoed off by the doctors and nurses, but Toadette made sure to keep out of sight. Princess Peach had been her greatest role model and Toadette refused to leave after seeing her in that condition.

Another hour went by and the door to the infirmary finally opened. The doctors and nurses shuffled out with tired expressions on their faces. Toadette poked her head around the corner and watched silently as the last doctor made his way out the door. The white-coated Toad doctor scanned the area around the door and then used a key to lock the infirmary door. Toadette winced but continued to watch as the doctor slowly made his way down the hall and out of sight.

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait like everyone else…" Toadette muttered, looking at the floor sadly as she began to pace the halls again.


	37. Division

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-Optional Music Suggestion: "The Lady's In Love with You," by Glenn Miller. The introduction is long but there are words to this song. Definitely listen to those.

**One Month Later**

The balcony tea table was scorching hot by the time Peach had the chance to breathe on her own. All morning, designers, maids, and beauticians had been rampaging through her room. Not that it bothered her. It was nice to finally be able to look in the mirror and see clear skin. The scratches and bruises that were still healing were all covered up with makeup and almost impossible to find.

The princess grabbed a floral beach towel from a nearby drawer and laid it over the sweltering metal chair. She gave an exhausted sigh as she sat down and eyed the letter lying on the table. It didn't look like anything special. It was just a white envelope with an official Mushroom Kingdom wax seal. However, it was thicker than she would have liked. At the very least, there were three or four pages folded neatly within.

"Toadsworth would have been proud. The council has been as persistent as he would have been," Peach said to herself wryly. She picked up the letter and broke the red seal. Perfect handwritten golden letters were scrawled across the papers. Annoyingly, disgustingly perfect letters.

_**Acceptable Human Suitors** _

_13 Amp_

_A. Coz_

_Bob_

_Captain Syrup_

_Foreman Spike_

_Prince Pine_

_Professor Elvin Gadd_

_Young Cricket_

_Master Mantis_

The princess shook her head and laughed as she read the names on the list. "My stars! I should have read this sooner! This must be the most ridiculous..."

_**Acceptable Non-Human Suitors** _

_Akuman_

_Captain Shy Guy_

_General Guy_

_Gourmet Guy_

_Pirate Guy_

_Anti Guy_

_Orbulon_

_Toadbert_

"Ohhhhh. I get it. They don't actually know who I should marry so they made a list of people who either had cool names or were a part of the League of Investors." She flipped over to the next page and continued reading.

_King Boo_

_The Whomp King_

_Shroomlock_

"King Boo? Bowser would  _love_  that," Peach muttered. A frown crossed her face and she laid the paper down on the table as she sat back into her chair. Bowser had apparently been very busy lately. Her councilors had been coming to her room constantly with all sorts of news about the Dark Lands opening their doors to the Mushroom Kingdom. Trade, easing travel restrictions between their borders, and so on. Most of the council was suspicious of Bowser's intentions, but all of that was put aside when Peach declared that they would accept the Dark Land's attempts to link themselves with the Mushroom Kingdom. The majority of the public was excited to see these changes while the rest were unsure or outraged. However, even the angriest citizen had to agree that the division between the two kingdoms had been a burden for far too long.

_...Division..._

"Your name would look good in golden ink," Peach whispered as she looked at the list of names. "Then again, maybe it would look just as good in an obnoxious yellow." She slid the nail of her index finger across the page, spelling King Bowser Koopa's name.

*knock knock*

Peach flinched at the sound and turned her head towards her bedroom door. "Come in!" she called, watching as Toadette popped her head through the door.

"Princess, are you ready?" Toadette asked with a humble smile.

"Yes, I only hope that they are as well," Peach said, getting up from her chair. Her elegant pink dress shimmered in the sun as she picked up a pair of long white gloves and pulled them on her hands resolutely.

The world wanted answers and she was going to give them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Your Cruelness! I have urgent news!" Kammy shouted, flying through Bowser's door with a newspaper clutched in her hands.

"What is it now, you old crone?" Bowser growled from behind his office desk.

"It's Peach! The whole kingdom is in a mess over this article in the newspaper!" Kammy said, frantically shaking the papers in front of him. Bowser pushed his reading glasses up on the bridge of his nose and took the newspaper from Kammy's claw.

The headlines read:

**_Princess Toadstool Praises King Bowser Koopa_ **

"What is this?" Bowser asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's exactly what it says it is! Peach claims that you saved her life!" Kammy exclaimed excitedly, clutching the end of the table as her King read on.

"That doesn't make any sense! I never… This has to be a farce," Bowser said, throwing the papers down.

"No, we had sources at the press conference! Every word in this article is true," Kammy jabbed the newspaper with her claw sharply. "Reporters have been asking for weeks for an explanation as to why the Princess disappeared. Here! I have a transcript with the questions and answers from the News Conference. The Princess  _clearly_  states that her life had been threatened and that you saved her from certain death!" Kammy stated handing Bowser another set of wrinkled papers, which he opened with skepticism. His eyes went wide as he scanned the third page.

_Reporter: "Princess! What was King Bowser Koopa's role in your disappearance?_

_Princess Toadstool: "There are rumors that King Bowser kidnapped me and took me from the Mushroom Kingdom against my will. This is false. I personally arranged for him to come and transport me from the Mushroom Castle in secrecy." (_ _audience uproar)_

_PT: "I received a message from an unnamed terrorist group threatening to take my life. At the time, I had heard King Bowser was making plans to kidnap me again so I made the unexpected decision to help him with that plan. Despite my efforts to remain hidden until the threat had passed, the terrorists attacked me and nearly brought me to my end. Luckily, King Bowser was there and he saved my life with the help of Toadsworth, my former supervisor, and Magikoopa Kamek."_

_R: "Who were the terrorists and are they still abroad?"_

_PT: "The terrorists have been neutralized thanks to the Darklandian King. There is longer a threat._

_R: "What led you to believe that King Bowser could be trusted?"_

_PT: "Though he kidnapped me multiple times, the King of the Dark Lands has never intentionally harmed me and has continuously treated me with the utmost respect. Even Mario would agree that Bowser's Castle has always been well fortified to keep unwanted individuals out. This being what I needed, I asked for and received King Bowser's assistance."_

_R: "Does this change the relationship between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands?"_

_PT: "Unequivocally."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Rainbow Road looped and curled through the night sky like a shimmering snake. Hundreds of stars of different colors zipped down the road, traveling quickly with bags full of Wishes. The smaller stars that most people overlook would only get one or two Wishes every night. However, the brightest and most popular stars (like Sirius, Canopus, and so on) would get so many Wishes that they had to make several trips across Rainbow Road to transport all of them. But that didn't seem to be the case tonight. All of the popular stars were handing off their bags of Wishes to the less noticeable stars. There were too many Wishes!

There was one little star who was missing out on all of the fun, though. He hovered sadly and watched all of the other stars shoot off along the sky, carrying bags of Wishes to all corners of the world. His boss had called for him to meet at the highest point of Rainbow Road. The old star had told him that it was important... "But why me?" the little star thought. "There are only four people in the whole world who wish on me. Tonight would have been my chance to..."

"  _❤︎♪_ **!?**. Come here! You have been taking care of Princess Peach's wishes, right?" a large star with a white handlebar mustache called.

"Yes, sir!" the small star saluted.

"All of those thousands of Wishes that she made asking to make Bowser leave her alone?"

The little star answered with a weary nod.

The old star chuckled and opened a small bag, "Take a look at this."

A tiny pink Wish shyly floated out of the bag and hovered in front of two stars. Its quiet whisper was barely audible.

The handlebar mustache star pushed it closer to the little star and motioned for him to listen closely.

_"Oh, little star, please grant me a wish. I wish…ssp…ssp…"_

"OH, COME ON!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A dark figure stood on the very edge of Rainbow Road, taking a brief moment to study Bowser's Castle down below. No lights were on and it didn't look like there was anyone moving around. The coast was clear.

Taking a deep breath, the slender boy took a step and leaped off of the edge. Leaning forward, he guided himself towards a castle window as he fell and kept a tight hold on his blue cape so it didn't flutter wildly in the wind. The window was getting closer. He had to time it just right...

*Fwip!*

The boy spread his arms and legs wide, allowing the wind to catch his cape. Immediately, his fall slowed and he glided towards the window. Just as he was about to smack into the window, it flew open and he landed inside the castle with a graceful tuck and roll. Looking around, he found himself standing at the foot of a massive bed. He smirked when he saw the sheets rise and fall.

Opening the bag, the slender figure stuck his hand inside and gently pulled out the little pink Wish.

"After all of these years, you finally got your Wish, huh Bowser?" Geno chuckled, straightened his hat. He walked over to the side of the bed and carefully pulled the covers down to reveal the Koopa's sleeping face. Bowser gave a low guttural noise and frowned as he slept.

"You better make the rest of her wishes come true because I need a break," Geno said as he took hold of the Wish with both hands and crushed it into dust. Taking a deep breath, he blew gently and the dust blanketed the sleeping Koopa King

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

**Three Months Later**

(Cue Music)

"I'm going to Gameover myself if you don't turn that shit off," Bowser groaned as the airship's cabin area was filled with music. "Killer... diller?"

"Younguns... In my day, we learned things from music, and I think you could learn a thing or twenty from this little number. So listen up or shove it up!" Willard chastised him as he shuffled to the cabin bar and poured himself a glass of wine. Bowser didn't answer and rubbed his forehead exasperatedly.

"You gonna grow an extra set of horns or somethin'?" Willard elbowed him as he took a seat next to Bowser on the 'davenport'.

"If I do, you'll be the first to know," Bowser growled, scooting away from the old red-shelled Koopa with an annoyed frown. The old man lifted his wine to Bowser with a conniving smile and took a lazy sip.

"I hate to admit it, your Malevolence, but Willard's right. This song has helped with my love life many-a-time," Kamek stated as he wiggled his hips and shuffled to the beat of the music. Bowser watched blue-robed old Koopa as he began jerking his legs while he danced.

"Need a wheelchair, Kamek?" Bowser quipped. Kamek hummed to the music louder and began shooting around the cabin with more vigor. Bowser looked over and found Willard with his claws in the air, miming as if he was playing an instrument in the band. "I'm surrounded by lunatics... Wait a second... Who is flying the ship?"

Willard removed the imaginary instrument from his mouth and answered, "Auto-pilot."

"You mean to tell me that this thing can fly itself and that you are an unnecessary accessory?" Bowser growled at Willard.

"Pretty much," the old man answered and took another sip from his glass with a satisfied sigh.

Two more hours of 'educational' music went on before Willard entered the cockpit and announced that the ship would be landing shortly. The moment Bowser felt the aircraft set down he got up from the couch and pressed the button to open the hatch. He drew a claw through his wavy red hair and put on a confident smirk as flashes of light and excited voices began to grow brighter and louder.

Bowser stepped out of his airship and sucked in a deep breath as he took in the sight before him. The Mushroom Castle was lit up like a Christmas tree with lights and decorations galore. Pink streamers were everywhere and hundreds of people walked into the castle, slowly filling the main hall within. The press was going wild as Bowser stepped out of his airship. He was wearing a classic black tux with a black and white shell to match. It was flashy and looked stunning with his red hair.

"Bowser Koopa! Are you going to try to steal the Princess again?" a reporter asked, pushing his microphone close to Bowser's face

"King Bowser, what are your thoughts on Princess Peach's intention to marry someone other than you?" another reporter asked, trying to push his microphone closer than the other reporter.

"Piss off or I'll burn you alive," Bowser growled menacingly. The crowd all jumped back with a gasp. "Gwa ha! Just kidding!" He put on a charming smile and walked past the flustered reporters. The moment he made his way through the front doors of the Mushroom Castle he stopped and stared in awe as his eyes rested on Peach's figure on the other side of the room.

She was wearing an elegant and borderline sexy pink dress with a sweetheart neckline. Her hair was straightened with small strands woven loosely around her head. He could have stared at her for hours if her eyes hadn't met his. Bowser straightened up and nodded politely. She nodded back with a sweet smile and then returned to her conversation with a wealthy looking Yoshi.

"It's about to start. Don't you think we should sit down before the host addresses us?" Kamek asked as he shuffled past Bowser impatiently.

"Yeah. Makes sense," the Koopa King answered, following Kamek to their seats on the side of the room. As soon as the rest of the guests sat in their places, Peach stood and began the banquet with a warm welcoming speech. Bowser tried to keep his eyes on the floor as she stood at the podium but he would always catch his eyes rising to her face.

"Your Fierceness, the speech is over. You may clap now," Kamek instructed. Bowser clapped a couple times until he realized no one else was clapping. The speech had definitely not ended yet.

Peach kept talking but looked at Bowser with a small look of confusion.

"Heeeeeehehehe," Kamek laughed into his robes. "I can't believe you fell for that! Heeeehehe!"

"Kamek, I'm going to kill you," Bowser growled in a whisper.

"Don't worry, sire. I am sure that will give you and the princess something to talk about later during the dance," Kamek said whispered back with a chuckle.

"She won't have time to trifle with me. There are hundreds of people here and she wants nothing to do with me," Bowser muttered bitterly. Kamek only shook his head with a smirk.

 _"I don't know what happened to you, Bowser, but she certainly doesn't hate you like she did before,"_  Kamek thought as he listened to Peach's speech. While Bowser was busy looking at his feet, Peach glanced in his direction every few seconds. The big oaf was thick headedly missing it. Kamek groaned to himself,  _"What made you give up when you actually had a chance?"_


	38. Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience! This section desperately needed a rewrite... :3 Enjoy!

The dining room chairs were covered in white cloth, each embellished with an elegant maroon bow wrapped around the back. The tables were covered with billowing white tablecloths that matched the chairs and the centerpieces were made of an assortment of Mushroom Kingdom flowers with golden painted leaves.

The room was packed with hundreds of guests from both the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom. Most of the guests spoke in whispers as they stood from their chairs and searched for the seats that they were assigned. It was inconvenient and unexpected to have to move from their choice placements but it forced both of the Kingdoms' citizens to mingle. It also became apparent that their assigned seats were not segregated. Every table had six chairs, three of which were meant for Mushroom Kingdom citizens and three for Darklandians.

Bowser ignored the call to change seats and watched the princess sit in her golden chair. It looked like it had been made for her. Then again, it probably had been. He pinched himself and averted his eyes from her figure. Even the way she walked made his old habits fight to resurface. He would give almost anything to go back in time and kidnap her like the old days...

"My King, the seating is assigned. Should we find our seats?" Kamek asked. Bowser rolled his eyes and sat further into his chair.

"I'm not going to get up and thump around the room just to look for a seat that looks exactly like this one. Go find yours if you want," Bowser waved Kamek off grumpily.

"Even if your chair is at the Royal table?" Kamek asked with a smirk.

"The royal table? But isn't that where the princess is...?" he began, but a screechy voice cut him off.

"Heyyyyy, Rookie!"

Bowser turned his head and growled, "Popple? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Damn. Nice to see ya too, spikey bastard..."

"Get out of here, Duncecap or I'll..."

"Woa woa woaaaaa! Easy, pal! I was invited! No need to get all fussy, see?" the green and purple thief took out a pink letter with an official Mushroom Kingdom stamp. The invitation was addressed to 'Popple the Theif'.

"Invitation or not, how dare you show your face here after what you and those dipshits did?" Bowser snarled, curling his claws into fists.

"Look, about that whole League of Investors business... I was forced into it, see? You know I hate working with a bunch of useless knuckleheads like them, but I had no choice! If you're still sore about the whole thing, you're blowing smoke up the wrong chimney. Take it out on someone else like the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland Councilors... Hell, even the Burt Brothers were all in. Pudding-headed morons - both of them. As for the invitation, it was a surprise to me too, Rookie. I guess the Princess is letting the water run under the bridge, huh? Maybe she knows that good people like me only have the best intentions at heart," the thief explained with a meaningful smile.

"I doubt that," Bowser frowned but looked in Peach's direction. His frown grew deeper as he watched a small group of former League of Investor members strike up a conversation with the princess. She wore a genuine smile as she spoke with them. Bowser looked around the rest of the room and realized that most, if not all, of the Investors were there. His stomach twisted a little at the sight.

"Forced? Bull shit. You only do things that benefit you, Popple," Bowser scowled.

"Well... it was the only way I could keep _her_  off me..." Popple leaned forward and whispered. "The moment  _she_  loses hope in you, she'll be on my tail like a Yoshi egg," the purple and green thief explained, pointing to the right. Bowser turned his head and gave a sigh of dismay.

"Booowwwssseerrr!" a high-pitched voice squealed. Before Bowser could react, a pair of pink arms were flung around his neck and smothered him with kisses.

*chu!* *chu!* *tehe!*

"Gert erf," Bowser gave a muffled snarl and tore her arms off of himself. Birdo let go of him and gave a wiggly dance.

"Ooohhhh! It has been so long since I have seen you, you handsome devil! When Popple told me you would be here, I thought I would DIE! I just had to come!" Birdo gushed excitedly. "And look! I was assigned to this table! We are just  _destined_  to be together! *chu* Even the Princess thinks so!"

*Ahem!* "Your Ferociousness, the servants are going to be bringing the food out any second now. We need to take  _our assigned seats_ ," Kamek reiterated impatiently, glancing at Birdo to make sure she had heard.

Birdo let out a loud disappointed huff and took hold of Bowser's arm, "Oh, but you MUST sit here, Bowseekins! I'm sure the guests assigned to these seats won't mind finding somewhere else to sit!" She fought with all of her might to keep Bowser in his chair but he was far stronger than her. When Bowser finally freed himself from her grasp, he grabbed hold of Kamek and took off towards the front of the room.

Kamek had been right. His and Bowser's names were sown into the white fabric of the chairs to the left of Princess Peach. Bowser's gut clenched and he began to sweat. He had been doing everything in his power to avoid her for months. Trade agreements? Give it to Kamek. Phone calls? Give it to Kamek. Personal meetings between the Mushroom and the Dark Land Kingdoms? Give it to Kamek.

Liquid dread filled his bloodstream and made him feel like he was lacking oxygen as he took hold of the back of his assigned seat. Peach turned her head and smiled up at him as he pulled out his chair. (Had her eyes always been that blue?) She opened her mouth to speak but a voice spoke up from over her shoulder.

"Ahhh! The man of the hour himself! The Princess and I were just talking about you!" a man in fluffy blue and red pants with an elegant red blouse strode around Peach's chair, took Bowser's claw, and gave it a firm shake.

"Oh?" was all Bowser could say. A pretty boy the size of an ant hill was shaking his claw like they were equals. Da hell?

Bowser looked to Peach for some kind of explanation but her face turned bright red and she turned her head away.

"Yes! You see, I am  _thee_  Prince Pine of Jewelry Land. Peach has been my friend for years. Far longer than  _most.._. Alas, I haven't seen her in ages!" he patted Peach on the shoulder affectionately. "Do you mind if I take this seat next to her? You can still sit at the table... but your servant will have to bring you another chair," Prince Pine asked with a politeness that exuded nothing but arrogance.

 _"Peach?"_  Bowser felt like he had been stung by a small wasp. How could this little dust mite use her name so casually? Unless... Bowser noticed Prince Pine's hand was lingering on Peach's shoulder. A dead weight seemed to fall from the top of his head to his toes as a thought struck him. Pretty Boy and Peach...?

After a moment's thought, Bowser noticed that Peach, along with over half of the room, was waiting nervously for his reaction to Pine's insults.

"Prince Pine... I really don't..." Peach began cautiously as if she was trying to defuse a bomb.

"Sure. It's all yours," Bowser shrugged.

Prince Pine's challenging smirk turned into a shit-eating grin. Peach frowned and made an attempt to stand from her chair, but Bowser had already left the table.

"Your Savageness... Where are you going?" Kamek whispered urgently. Bowser didn't answer. "The arrogance! The conceitedness! You aren't really going to let him take your seat? Are you?"

"If the Princess had no problem with it then why should I?" Bowser growled.

"Princess Toadstool - THEE PRINCESS - assigned you a chair next to her, your Stubbornness! She would never have allowed him to take your seat if you had not agreed! Didn't you see the look she gave Prince Pine? She was just as shocked by his arrogance as I was!" the old Magikoopa argued fervently.

"She's only being polite," Bowser glared at him.

" _Polite_  was inviting you to the party and giving you a seat within her Castle's walls! But choosing to sit next to you was much more than that!" Kamek contended eagerly. "Even worse, that ninnyhead practically spat on you and your crown! It is unacceptable!" Bowser continued to stomp away in the opposite direction, ignoring Kamek's arguments. "My King! The Princess wanted you there! She chose to sit with you instead of Mario or Luigi!"

"No!" Bowser snarled furiously, rounded on the Magikoopa. He lowered his voice and leaned close to Kamek with a menacing glare, "She knew Mario wouldn't be here on time and Luigi would rather sit by Daisy... I was the last choice." Kamek opened his mouth to protest, but Bowser cut him off. "THE LAST. Now, sit your flabby ass down in that chair and zip your face, old man."

Kamek pulled out his chair, folded his arms, and sat in his chair stiffly. It was bad enough to have to babysit a lovesick king, but sitting at Birdo and Popple's table was going to be a nightmare.

"Ummmm... King Bowser?... Sir?"

Bowser took his napkin and unfolded it on his lap. "What?" He looked over and saw a massively obese Shyguy in a red suit.

"Well... My name is on the chair you are sitting in and... I'm reaallllyyy hungry," Gourmet Guy rubbed his hands together greedily.

"Find another seat," Bowser hissed. The massive man whimpered and jiggled away from the table.

"Good call. That guy spied and flabbed on you for weeks just because Kamella promised she'd bake him a cake. Besides, he'd steal all of our food before we could even blink," Popple stated, lazily poking his napkin with his fork. Birdo nodded her head in agreement and then rested it on Bowser's shoulder. He pushed her off yet again with a casual shrug and rested his chin in his claw as they waited for the rest of the guests to seat themselves.

*eeeeekkkkk*

"Knarly... Sitting at the same table as the Dark Land King dude," a large green frogman with a golden grown said loudly as he pulled out a chair at the table. "What's shakin' Bower? Been a long time since I last seen you!" He made pointed at Bowser, winked, and clicked his tongue in a  _cool_  fashion.

"King Wart..." Bowser rubbed his forehead. How many more people would be aggravating him tonight?

"Don't be that way, my dude! I'm not here to stir anything up! In fact, I'll make sure everyone's dreams are clear tonight! How 'bout that?" Wart grinned and motioned to the rest of the room. Bowser nodded but lifted his gaze away from the frogman distractedly. Wart studied Bowser for a moment and then followed his stare.

Prince Pine was unfolding Peach's napkin and attempting to lay it across her lap. She was trying to take the napkin from his hand so she could do it herself but he ended up winning the battle and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Ahhhh, then again, maybe one little bad dream would be fun, eh dude? I think I can nab him with a really good nightmare from here - keep him up for days, maybe even get him to wet the sheets a little," Wart suggested noisily. Peach and the Prince looked towards their table at the sound of Wart's booming voice and Bowser quickly turned his gaze to the live orchestra at the far end of the room.

"Keep your voice down or I'll make sure you eat vegetables for the rest of your life, Wart," Bowser growled from the side of his mouth. Wart paled a little and immediately became fascinated with the fabric of the tablecloth. Birdo blew a raspberry at the frogman and stroked Bowser's arm lovingly. Once again, he shook her off and scooted his chair further away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It felt like years before the castle servants began bringing out plates of food. Prince Pine was relentless. He asked question after question, told story after story, and tried to impress her with all of the things he had done since they had last met. Luckily, Daisy was sitting on the other side of her.

"Want me to ward him off, Peachy?" Daisy whispered to Peach as Prince Pine took a sip of water to clear his throat for the rest of his  _long_  and uninteresting story. Peach bit her tongue and tried not to smile when she nodded her head slightly. Daisy smiled and turned to Luigi who was sitting in the chair next to her.

"Hey, Weeg? Can you get me the really pretty flower from the vase in the middle of the table? I would love to preserve it in one of my books," Daisy asked sweetly. Luigi nodded his head, stood from his chair, and reached his hand out to grab the biggest flower. When he had it between his fingers he pulled it out and handed it to her with a smile.

"Thanks, babe," Daisy giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek. His cheeks reddened and he grumbled something that was unintelligible. As he sat back into his chair, he clumsily knocked Daisy's fork onto the floor with a clatter.

"Oops! I've got it!" Daisy leaned over and tried to grab the fork without getting up. It was too far away. She groaned and leaned farther, stretching her arm as far as it could go until her fingers were close enough to graze the edge of the fork. Letting out one last huff, Daisy stretched even harder and picked up the fork. With a satisfied sigh, she sat buck up in her chair and held it out for Luigi, Peach, and Prince Pine to see. "See? Didn't even have to get out of my chair!" she proclaimed proudly.

Prince Pine raised his eyebrows at her, "Surely, you aren't planning on using that?"

"Whyever not?" Daisy feigned surprise. "Five-second rule, right? Look!" She breathed on the fork and then rubbed it on her dress. "Completely clean!" Prince Pine stared at her for but didn't open his mouth to say anything further.

After a moment, Pine fell back into a long conversation with Peach and Daisy began playing with her fork absently. She flipped it between her fingers for a while and then started to tap it on the table. The edges of Prince Pine's eyes twitched whenever she gave an especially loud tap.

Soon, Daisy laid her hand on the table and tapped the spaces between her fingers with the prongs of the fork. Prince Pine continued to talk to Peach but his smile was becoming more strained. Daisy continued to tap her fork until she was sure she had more the forty-percent of his attention.

Finally, she stopped tapping the fork and began picking her teeth with it. Prince Pine tried to force himself to smile but it looked more like a grimace than anything else. He blinked and tried to keep his eyes on Peach but his stare kept changing back to Daisy's face. He was absolutely mortified by her impropriety.

"Umm... Princess, I think I..." the princess looked at Peach beseechingly but his eyes flitted back to Daisy who was studying the prongs of the fork as if she had picked something out of her teeth that had been especially interesting. His expression crinkled and he covered Peach's hand with his own. "I'm sorry Princess but I must attend to some business. Do you mind if I step out for a bit?"

"Of course, I understand! There is never any rest for Royalty. You are excused," Peach smiled at him as politely as she could. The Prince lifted the napkin from his lap and laid it on the table as he got up from his chair and bowed low to Peach, pointedly ignoring Daisy and Luigi. With a quick but graceful stride, he sauntered away like a painted pony.

Neither of the princesses decided to wait until he was out of earshot. They both doubled over in their chairs and giggled. By the time the second course had been served, both of them were finally able to speak a full sentence.

"What a riot..." Daisy said hoarsely. "We should really have Pine over more often." Peach only nodded her head and took a long drink from her glass.

The food was immaculate. The first course was a french onion soup, the entree was a Lobster Frittata, and the desert was a large and expensive looking cake. Even the orchestra was taking an intermission to try portions of the dinner.

"Thank you," Peach smiled as the castle servant handed her a slice of strawberry cake. He bowed to her and moved to the next table. Just as he moved away, her eyes caught a glimpse of Bowser as he inhaled another plate of food. Three servants watched, completely stunned by his appetite, each taking turns serving him food and clearing his dirty plates.

Anyone close enough to see Bowser watched with wide eyes as he ate ten massive plates of food and seven desserts. Peach giggled softly to herself and continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye.

"OoooOOOooo! What's so funny, Peachy?" Daisy asked with a knowing smile as she took another bite of her cake.

"Nothing really…" Peach said quietly, shifting her eyes to somewhere else in the room.

"Uhuh. So tell me, is he a good kisser?" Daisy asked bluntly.

"What? Who?" Peach asked with a blush coming to her face.

"Peach, I was there in the courtroom remember? Don't play dumb. You 'acted with romantic intentions' towards Mr. RoughEdges over there. I thought for sure we would have to surgically remove his lips off of you. Instead, he drops you off at home and doesn't even say 'Hi' when he comes to your party? What's the deal?!" Daisy pushed harder.

"Daisy… I screwed up. It is amazing he even came tonight," Peach answered, her eyes trailing back to Bowser's face sadly.

"Hmmmmmmm…" Daisy hummed thoughtfully.

"Don't do that, Daisy," she scolded her.

"Don't do what?" her cousin asked with an innocent smile.

"You ' _hmmmmm_ 'ed. You only do that when you're planning something. I can't have you playing any games during this party," Peach stated seriously.

"Peachyyyyyy, we are throwing this party to celebrate you getting well! And you would be weller if you had a little…" Daisy trailed off with a smile.

"A little what?" Peach asked with a frown.

"...Romance," Daisy answered, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No," Peach said.

"But…"

"No," Peach stated firmly.

Daisy rested her head on her hand with a pout, "Fine."

As Daisy pouted, the castle servants came bustling out of the kitchens and began clearing away all of the dishes and replaced them with fresh crystal glasses and small plates for horderves. At the request of Princess Peach, the orchestra began to play a waltz and a massive chocolate fountain was opened to the guests along with a fifty-foot table filled with every fruit the surrounding kingdoms had to offer. Even Gourmet Guy couldn't eat it all, but that probably wouldn't stop him from trying.

Luigi stood from his chair, offered his hand to Princess Peach, and led her to the dance floor. Peach smiled and matched Luigi's pace as he whisked her around the dance floor. It was almost unnatural how smooth Luigi's gate was. His legs weren't long enough for waltz but he was rather nimble. The crowd watched, fascinated by the short little man and the smiling princess. When the piece had reached its end, the crowd applauded and the guests began to make their way to the dancefloor as well.

"Wow, Luigi. You should be a professional dancer!" Peach gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"My turn, Weeegggeeee!" Daisy grabbed Luigi's arm before he could answer Peach and ran off to the dancefloor.

"...What an odd couple," Prince Pine chuckled as he came to stand next to the princess. Peach flinched slightly at his sudden appearance and forced a polite smile.

"They have fun personalities," she answered as she watched Daisy and Luigi flirt with each other on the dance floor.

"Yes, fun..." the Prince said with slight sarcasm. The edges of Peach's smile lowered a little at the tone of his voice. "Tell me, Princess, how is it that you are so tolerant and kind?"

"Practice," Peach said simply.

"No, really. Your friends are jovial enough but they lack a certain amount of... decorum. The ladies in my kingdom would never have the patience. And then being kidnapped continuously for  _years_  by an overgrown lizard. It must be taxing to live in such a way," Pine continued with a disbelieving smile.

"I actually find it all to be rather exciting. Everyday life can become rather monotonous," Peach stated matter-of-factly, entwining her gloved fingers as she kept her gaze carefully focused on the dancing couples.

"Ahh, so you have a secret fetish for torment. Is that why you always invite these _oddities_  to your Parties, Brawls, and Kart races?" the Prince asked in amusement.

"I guess so," she said dryly, her smiling continuing to fade from her face.

"Well, at least you have taught the Koopa his place. It was about time. He has done nothing but harass you for years. To what end? I mean, did he really think he would gain anything? I was surprised he was invited to anything after he kidnapped you the first time," Pine continued. Peach didn't answer. "You know, Princess, if you ever get tired of the rabble, I'll always be willing to come to your parties."

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," Peach turned and allowed her gaze to fix on his.

"Any invitation from you could never be an inconvenience," Prince Pine lowered his voice and smiled at her warmly.

"Ohhh, but the ride must be so uncomfortable for you. I hear that it is hard to travel with a stick up your ass," Peach with fake worry. Prince Pine's warm smile contorted as he mauled over her words. He had to have heard her wrong.

"What?" he asked in angry confusion.

"You know, that stick... up your ass... Surely you must have known you had one? I could pull it out for you if you like," the princess continued.

"H-how dare you?" Pine hissed angrily. Peach's sweet smile turned dead cold.

"How dare you come to my castle and insult my guests?" she asked frigidly. Pine opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off. "I've had enough of you. You may leave." With a definite frown, she turned on her heel and walked away from him.

"So this is the real reason for your father's death. He died of shame when he realized he had raised a slut," Pine stated loudly from across the room, but Peach continued to walk away. "No kingdom will ever accept a Koopa kissing whore for a Queen!" The room filled with gasps and the orchestra even came to a clumsy halt. Daisy hiked up her sleeves and began marching towards the Prince but Luigi held her back. The Prince made a rude gesture towards Peach's back and left before the guards could grab a hold of him.

"Kamek?" Bowser growled.

"Yes, Sire?" the old Magikoopa set down his wine and watched the young Prince leave.

"Consider Prince Pine an enemy of the Dark Lands from now on. And, I don't care how you do it... make sure he cries."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> "Chu" is the sound of a kiss in Japanese.


	39. A Woman Like Her

Once it had been confirmed that Prince Pine had left the Mushroom Castle, the guests returned to their activities. Some continued to dance, others huddled around the chocolate fountain, and the rest either sat in their chairs or formed a line to speak with Princess Peach. Unsurprisingly, most of the line was composed of former League of Investors.

Bowser snorted, "Of course, the old wisp would be the first in line to see her." Kamek heard Bowser's comment and turned to look in the same direction. At the very front of the line, King Boo. The princess smiled at him politely and giggled at something he said.

"Hmmm… I am surprised you weren't the first one to see her. It has been a rather long time since you have seen her in person," Kamek stated impishly.

"It has only been a few months… Besides, Peach doesn't want to see me. You of all people should know that," Bowser answered frankly.

"Should I? Why would she send you an invitation if she didn't want to see you?" Kamek asked.

"It was only to show that our kingdoms are on good standings with each other. A political move and nothing more," Bowser said sourly. "Shouldn't you be fulfilling my commands? I thought you would be delighted to have a test subject to torture." The old Magikoopa only smiled and continued to tap his toe to the music.

 _"Well, at least someone is enjoying this shitty party,"_ Bowser thought to himself and sulked away towards the chocolate fountain. His sour expression changed to surprised confusion when the guests around the fountain rushed to meet him. Each one was eager to meet him.

The initial surprise began to wear off quickly, however. Each of the guests seemed to have a million questions for him, some of which were rather personal or just plain stupid. As much as Bowser loved answering questions about himself, half of them were also about his relationship with Princess Peach. Had she shown any interest in him lately? Have they been in touch with each other a lot? If he wasn't kidnapping Peach anymore, would he switch to kidnapping Daisy? Would you expect Mario or Luigi to save her?

After a half hour, Bowser groaned and pushed past the crowd. He took a large fruit bowl and held it under the chocolate fountain until the chocolate was running down the sides of the bowl. Leaning his head back, he opened his jaw wide and stuffed the whole bowl in his mouth. Once he had sealed his mouth shut, he pulled his claw and the empty bowl out of his mouth with a loud *pop*. Setting the pristine bowl back on the table, Bowser walked away from the stunned guests and made his way to the farthest table he could find.

"King Bowser?" a small high-pitched voice called. Bowser gave out a long irritated sigh.

"What?" Bowser grunted as he turned to look at the little pink-capped Toad.

"I am T-toadette…" the little Toad stammered nervously.

"Ah, yes... You are the Princess's new personal advisor. Have you come to ask me to leave?" Bowser smirked.

"Huh? No! I would never… The Princess wanted me to bring you to the front of the room so she can make an announcement. Follow me, please!" Toadette asked with a tentative smile and motioned for him to walk with her. Bowser followed uncomfortably as they weaved through the room full of guests. When they were halfway to the front of the room, he noticed Peach waiting for them beside the throne. She gave him a reassuring smile and waved to him. Bowser quickened his pace without thinking as the Princess beckoned him forward silently.

"Bowser, it is good to see you," Peach said with a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"I bet it is," Bowser answered with a grin. Peach rolled her eyes at him and turned towards the crowded room. Just after the last dance selection came to an end, she took her glass and tapped it to capture the room's attention.

"My friends, the night is drawing to a close and I thank you for traveling from far and wide to come to this special occasion," Peach stated with a genuine smile. "I may not have been able to meet with each of you personally, but it has been my pleasure to gather with you in this hall and celebrate more than just my recovery but also the Mushroom Kingdom's recent friendship with the Dark Lands. Though I hate to impose myself on you, I beg that you tarry here only a few moments longer. I would also ask that the Entrance Hall be opened to the public so they may also to become a part of history with us."

Bowser watched in surprise as the servants of the castle opened the doors and allowed the newscasters and the public in. The guests were shocked, but they each stood where they were, waiting for the princess to speak further.

"As you all know, I owe my life to King Bowser Koopa of the Dark Lands," Peach continued as the last of the reporters trailed into the room. Bowser shifted his head uneasily but he remained silent. "He proved to be trustworthy when I was in need and he has continued to prove himself trustworthy as a ruler. Because of him, our kingdoms will finally have the chance to coexisted in peace, but our union has not been made official and won't be made official… until the preceding month when a Peace Conference will be held between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands!" Bowser's mouth fell open and the audience erupted.

Bowser's thoughts halted to a stop. Peach looked back at him with a grin and turned back to the audience.

"Both the Dark Lands and the Mushroom Kingdom Councils have been working day and night to form a Peace Treaty so that we can further unite ourselves, no longer allowing the past to hold us in contempt with one another," the princess continued. Bowser couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he smiled for the press and shot glares at Kamek whenever he got the chance.

After the closing speech, Peach whispered, "Come with me, Bowser." The stunned Koopa King didn't reply, but he followed her silently, leaving the astounded crowd behind. He followed her from the podium to a door that led into one of the back hallways where Kamek and Toadette stood waiting for them. As soon as the door was shut Bowser took a breath, leaned against a wall, and crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"Kamek," Bowser stated gruffly.

"Present, your Nastiness," Kamek answered.

"You created a Peace Treaty without me? The King?" Bowser asked blankly.

"Well, it is only in the works. The Treaty technically hasn't been created quite yet," Kamek explained smartly.

"I see… Princess?" the Koopa King asked.

"Also present," Peach answered with a smile.

"You were in cahoots with this dingbat?" Bowser inquired.

"The Princess may have been aware that a Treat was being formed, but I was the one that strung it all together," Toadette stated before Peach could answer.

"Makes sense," Bowser answered musingly. He turned his head to Peach and sighed. "Then I guess I have no choice… but to accept. Gwa ha ha!"

Peach grinned and grabbed Toadette's hands excitedly. They both giggled excitedly.

"Now the only person we need to agree is Mario," Peach said happily.

"Eh, he will. Either that or his sewer lines will break apart every night of his honeymoon," Bowser chuckled.

"Hahaaa! I really want to agree to it now!" Mario exclaimed as he appeared from around the corner. He was sporting a shiny navy blue suit with a white and red shirt.

"Mario! You did come!" Peach exclaimed excitedly. Mario bowed with a grin and waved Pauline to come around the corner.

"Hey, Peach! Sorry for coming so late. My performance went on longer than I originally intended," Pauline apologized with a curtsy. She was wearing a scarlet red suit with a navy blue Panama hat.

"No worries, I am just glad you could make it," Peach grinned.

"Quite a statement you made up there. Congratulations on this step forward in your relationship!" Pauline said and Mario nodded in agreement. "It is good to hear that you and Bowser are getting along so well. Maybe we should have a double date after the Treaty is signed! That would be fun!"

"Huh?" Peach stated, a little surprised. Peach and Bowser glanced at each other and then looked away with embarrassed looks on their faces. "Ummm I will be busy hosting the ball after the signing to celebrate… Maybe we could all just meet later..."

"Yeah… Dating has never really been my thing anyhow…" Bowser agreed nervously, shuffling his feet. Mario furrowed his eyebrows a little and looked at Pauline who shrugged slightly in response.

"Well, then I guess we could all dance together at the ball! Anyhow, I am going to grab a chocolate covered strawberry before they put everything back," Pauline said, trying to bring back the lighthearted mood she had accidentally smothered.

"I'll go with you! ... That is, if you don't need me anymore, Princess," Toadette asked with a sheepish smile.

"The rest of the night is yours, Toadette. I can take care of everything else from here," Peach answered kindly. Toadette grinned and skipped off with Pauline towards the main hall.

"Sire, I will go tell Willard to start the ship," Kamek stated dutifully and in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

There was a long moment of silence after the others left.

"Just the three of us again, huh?" Bowser chuckled, a feeling of nostalgia beginning to form in the room.

"Guess so," Mario stated, rubbing his index finger under his nose thoughtfully.

"Who would have thought we would all be in the same room without a reason to fight?" Peach said, shaking her head a little.

"Yeah, well we would never have had to fight if Mario would have left me alone," Bowser grinned deviously.

"Someone like you should never be left alone," Mario answered.

"Why? Because I am wickedly handsome?" Bowser exclaimed with pride.

"That and you never have any good ideas," Mario smiled.

"Well, I can't get mad when you agreed to the most important part," the king rumbled smugly.

"…While you both flirt with each other, I am going to…" Peach began but Mario stepped in.

"Don't worry, Peach," Mario said with a wink. "I won't keep him any longer. Pauline and I will be at the Peace Conference. Goodnight."

"T-thank you, Mario... Goodnight!" Peach blushed slightly and waved as Mario left to find Pauline.

"I should get going too…" Bowser stated as he awkwardly scratched his head. "Thank you, Princess Toadstool. You won't regret putting trust in me and my kingdom." Peach looked up at him with a bashful smile, but there was something sad in her demeanor.

"Bowser, I…" Peach started to ask but decided to let her question go. "I know I won't regret it. When you put your mind to something you  _always_  succeed." The king smiled.

"Goodnight, Princess. It has been a pleasure to see you," Bowser stated as he bowed deeply.

"Before you go… Bowser, why do you keep calling me that?" Peach asked quietly. He lifted his head to look at her with obvious confusion.

"Huh? Did I call you something offensive?"

"No. That's not what I mean," Peach stated with a little frustration in her voice. "What is my name? What do you call me?"

"...Your name is Princess Peach Toadstool…?" Bowser answered, but Peach turned around with her arms folded and shook her head. "Princess, is everything okay?"

"Damn it, Bowser. Why don't you call me by my  _name_?" Peach said angrily, glaring at the ground as he stood behind her completely puzzled.

"I'm sorry, Princess Peach Toadstool. Is that what you want? Do you have a middle name I don't know about?" Bowser asked, searching his brain desperately. She mumbled something under her breath in response. "Huh? I'm sorry, Princess I didn't catch that."

"My name is Peach. Just Peach!" she shouted at him as she turned her head to glare at him crossly. He was stunned to see tears staining her beautiful face. She turned away to hide her tears. "I'm sorry. Tonight has been far too stressful and I took it out on you... Goodnight, King Bowser Koopa. It was, as you said, a pleasure to see you as well." She walked off and Bowser watched silently as she disappeared down the hall.

"Damn... I walked allllllll those stairs just to say 'hello' to Pinky and you run her off again!" an old wobbly voice groaned.

"Go away, old-timer. The party is over," Bowser grumbled.

"I'll say! So what are you going to do now?" Willard asked as he shuffled closer.

"I'll go home. It is clear that doing things right isn't an option for me," Bowser spat bitterly.

"Ah. So you're a candy ass too," Willard stated. Bowser began to retort, but Willard wasn't having it. "I'll have you know that Kamek has been meeting with her in secret for months. That girl fought every wishing star in the sky to prove you were worth being trusted. "

"Yeah? And what would you have me do to fix things, old-timer? Kidnap her?" Bowser raised his voice in frustration.

"Anything. Hell, you could piss green and impress her more than you did just now!" the old red-shelled Koopa chuckled sourly. Bowser only shook his head forlornly. Willard glanced up at the massive Koopa and gave a long sigh. "You know, kid... I've seen a few things in my time and a woman like  _her_  isn't one of them. Don't leave things like this." Bowser lifted his head and looked at the old Koopa. The old man had already turned around and began walking to the front of the castle.

 _"Kidnap her…_ " Bowser thought to himself. When Willard was out of sight, Bowser started walking down the hall in the direction that Peach had gone. Luckily, the Mushroom Castle wasn't nearly as confusing as his and he had been through it many times. Every door was labeled and the halls all seemed to lead back to the main hall of the castle. As he walked, he felt something soft and squishy bump against his knee.

*gasp!*

"Ah, Toadette! Nice to see you again. Wouldn't suppose you know where the princess is, do you?" Bowser asked politely, kneeling down so he didn't have to crane his neck. Toadette looked up at him with wide eyes and her face went pale.

"I… d-don't know…" Toadette stammered as his scrutinizing gaze made her knees shake.

"I need to speak with her," Bowser pushed with an intimidating smile. Toadette stood her ground and tried to stare back at him with a glare. "Hmm… You are quite gutsy for someone your age. Just tell me where Peach is or…"

"Or what? You'll make me  _cry_?" Toadette said bluntly. Bowser grimaced slightly and she took it as a good sign. "What did you do to Peach this time?"

"Oh please," he gave a low growl. "I have no reason to explain myself to a little spit like you."

"Then I'll make sure you never find her. A brute like you doesn't deserve our princess!" Toadette shot back with all the courage she had in her little body. Bowser lifted his claw with a snarl and Toadette cringed as he laid it on her pink cap.

"I know," Bowser grumbled. Toadette's eyes went wide and she stood motionless as Bowser patted her cap, stood back up, and walked past her. He didn't care if she let the whole castle know he was trespassing. He only needed a moment to talk to Peach.

 _"The princess was right. He really has changed,"_  Toadette thought to herself.

"You know she cares about you, right?" she said quietly. Bowser stopped and looked down at the little toad with surprise on his face. Toadette sighed and took hold of Bowser's claw, pulling him towards the back of the castle. "Please don't make her cry anymore," Toadette asked, looking up at Bowser with sad eyes. He nodded in silent agreement and soon both of them stood in front of the racquetball room. Toadette pulled a metal pin from her clothes and stuck the pin in the door's lock. In less than a minute the door gave a soft  _click_  and opened.

 _"So this is the servant Peach learned that trick from,"_  Bowser thought to himself in amusement.

"Thank you," Bowser muttered. Toadette walked away quietly without giving him another glance. The Koopa King put his claw on the door handle and slowly pushed the door open. As soon as he looked inside he found the princess dressed in a sporty pink mini skirt and a tank top with her hair in a ponytail. Her expression was frustrated as she smashed a racquetball into the wall as hard as she could while listening to music on her surround sound speakers. (The bass was phenomenal)

Without a word, Bowser shed his tux, picked up a racquet, and took his position beside her. She only glanced at him and smacked the ball against the wall again. When it bounced off the back wall and came back again, Bowser brought his racquet forward and hit the ball. The first few returns were somewhat tentative, but as the ball stayed in play, both Bowser and Peach began to play more competitively.

Though Bowser was big and clunky, he had strength on his side. He could send the ball flying with twice the speed the princess could, but Peach was small and fast. She also had a lot of stamina, which continued to amaze Bowser as she returned every one of his plays. Peach was also impressed with his agility and strength… though she would never tell him that.

Fifteen minutes went by without either one of them scoring a point. The ball was still going and both of them only kept pushing each other harder until Bowser's racquet broke and the ball bounced a second time on his turn.

"Alright!" Peach screamed, jumping with her fist in the air.

"ARGH!" Bowser roared angrily. "Don't you dare smile! You know that doesn't count as a point!"

"Of course not, but your racquet broke because you kept scraping it against the wall. The round is technically mine," she stated simply.

"No, you ONLY win something if you get points for it! You got no points, so you didn't win anything!" Bowser argued stubbornly, watching as she began to pick up her gym bag and laid her sports gear inside.

"Well, I didn't let the ball bounce more than once, but you did because you weren't being careful," Peach said with a giggle. Bowser walked forward and handed her his broken racquet.

He snorted and grinned, "Whatever… Peach." She momentarily hesitated and then threw the gym bag over her shoulder casually. Bowser stretched out his hand to grab her before she walked out the exit door, but he shrank back at the last second.

"Peach, would you allow me to… kidnap you sometime?" he asked awkwardly. His heart dropped a little as the words came out of his mouth. There was no way in hell that anyone would say yes to such a lame invitation. His pride chipped even more when he heard her stifle a laugh.

"I would like that," Peach answered with a glance towards him as she opened the door to leave. "Goodnight, Bowser." Despite himself, he grinned as she shut the door behind her.

"Goodnight, Peach," he answered back though he knew she wouldn't hear it.

Something about that moment seemed familiar… But he didn't care. She said yes!


	40. The Kidnapping

"Peachhhyyy! Just call him! My stars, you are acting like a chillllld..." Daisy groaned dramatically through the phone.

"But... I don't know what to say. It's not like I have a reason to call," Peach answered, playing with the fingers of her lace gloves.

"It doesn't matter! Make up something. Bowser is coming to 'kidnap' you, right? Just tell him a time you are the most available. Make a plan!" her cousin reasoned.

"That would ruin the point of him 'kidnapping' me. Besides, I have already cleared all of my Sundays so I can sit for a few hours on the balcony. I'm hoping that he will come sooner if I make it easier for him," Peach explained.

"You're willing to go through all of that trouble but not call him? You're ridiculous," Daisy snorted.

"I just want to make sure he is interested, Daze. He avoided me for months..." Peach pouted and leaned back with her head against the wall.

"... I was thinking about that. Wonder if..." Daisy trailed off and Peach held the phone closer to her ear.

"Wonder if what?" Peach asked eagerly.

"Well... wonder if he doesn't remember what you told him?" her cousin asked. Peach stopped pulling apart her (completely ruined) lace gloves.

"I guess it is possible. I was hoping Kamek could fill Bowser in on most of the things that happened if he didn't remember on his own. Then again, Kamek wasn't there when I told Bowser how I felt. No one was," Peach said thoughtfully.

"Then there you go! He doesn't remember! Now that we have the figured out, call him, tell him to come get you, and then SMASH FACES," Daisy giggled through the phone.

Peach rolled her eyes, "And wonder if that's not the case and he does remember?"

"Bowser asked you on a date, didn't he? Luigi was the same way. It took him YEARS before he finally got up the nuts to ask me out. My poor Weegee was so scared that I would reject him that he froze midsentence," Daisy said in a babying voice (a groan came from Luigi in the background). "You know what I did to calm his worries?"

"Alright Daze, I'm hanging up now..." Peach laughed.

"I grabbed him by the nose and snogged him. Thoroughly," Daisy said rapturously. "And then I pulled him to my room and..."

"Bye Daisy! Love you!" Peach said quickly and then hung up the phone. Almost immediately, her phone lit up with texts.

*Vppp*

_"I'm sending you a box of my favorite... 'candies'... if you know what I mean. ;) ;) ;)_

*Vppp*

_"Safety first! Babies hurt!"_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few weeks after the Peace Conference, Bowser hadn't heard a word from Peach. His sources told him that she called Daisy three times a week, but he never got so much as a text from her. Then again, he had been avoiding her for months until recently. He probably shouldn't expect her to contact him, right? If anything, it was a good sign that she didn't call to cancel the whole 'kidnapping' thing. Or maybe she forgot about it?

Regardless, he kept his phone within reach at all times.

By now, summer was starting to change over to fall. The trees were just beginning to change color and the breeze seemed to be cooling down a couple degrees every day. Bowser shook his head as he looked out the airship porthole. Should he even kidnap her today? What if it was inconvenient for her? Peach used Sunday to visit her father's headstone in the morning and sit on her balcony alone to relax the rest of the day.

In the past, Bowser would have thought today was the perfect opportunity... but what if Peach saw this as disrespectful to her father's memory and began hating him again? Even worse, what if he had heard her wrong and she really didn't agree to the kidnapping at all?

"Okay, kid! You're up," Willard said over the intercom as the ship flew over the Mushroom Castle and slowly hovered down to Peach's balcony.

 _"I've got this. I'm a professional! I've done this for years! YEARS! I'm an experienced, well-seasoned kidnapping BEAST!"_ Bowser told himself.

He rolled his shoulders and pushed the button to open the back of the ship and extend the ramp.

"GWA HA HA HA!" Bowser laughed and grinned evilly. "I hope you're ready, Princ..."

Peach only glanced at him from her tea table, got up from her chair, and walked into her bedroom.

Bowser's proudly puffed up chest deflated as he watched Peach's balcony door close behind her.

 _"Damnit,"_  Bowser thought, hanging his head.

*click*

Peach opened her bedroom door came back out to the balcony with a large pink suitcase.

"And here I and thought you had forgotten about me!" Peach yelled over the sound of the airship's rotors with a teasing smile. Bowser only stared at her with wide eyes as she walked up the ramp and stopped in front of him, studying him with laughing blue eyes. "It is very rude for a King to gawk," she stated with a giggle, handing her pink bag to him while walking past him into the cabin.

"You're surrendering? Already? I didn't even get to throw your castle into a whirlwind of panic," Bowser asked, completely bemused and... mildly disappointed...

"Oh, I told them you would be coming," Peach said flippantly as she sat down on a red luxurious chair in the cabin of the airship.

"You knew I was coming today? Did Kamek tell you?" Bowser questioned further.

"Nope. I guess I was just… hoping you would come," she explained, looking away from him as her face colored a little. Bowser was dumbfounded. Peach's smile faltered at the look of disbelief on his face. "Sorry, Bowser… Maybe I took this whole thing the wrong way," she muttered, getting up from her seat with an embarrassed frown.

"What?!" Bowser snapped out of his daze. "No! Stay!... I mean… Would you stay, with me? Well, you don't have to stay  _with_  me, that might not be very enticing for you but…" Bowser stammered. He trailed off as he looked at her. She was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers with her hair in a ponytail. Her makeup was still simple, but he could see that her eyeliner was darker with wings on the end.

"Bowser? Do you not like my outfit? I have a dress or two in my bag that I can change into," Peach said, looking at her ungloved hands sheepishly.

"I (cough) like it. It fits you  _very_  well," Bowser sputtered as he pressed the button to close the entrance to the airship. The longer the door was open, the more likely he was to throw himself out of it. This had to be another one of his  _crazy_  dreams... Hesitantly, Bowser sat down on the sofa sitting opposite of hers, leaning back and laying his arms lazily across the back of the chair. He watched her for a moment and Peach awkwardly doodled circles on her jeans, fully aware of his stare. A long quiet moment passed until Peach gave out a small sigh and got up from her chair.

"I'll press the button to let Willard know we are ready to go," she said politely. Bowser nodded with a grunt and continued to stare as she walked across the floor and pressed the button. It flashed green as Peach made her way back to the seating area.

"Mind if I sit by you, Bowser?" Peach asked sweetly. Once again, Bowser was at a loss for words, but he scooted over so she would have the whole other half of the chair and laid his right arm on the armrest while leaving his left on the back of the chair. The princess waited for him to get comfortable and then sat down right under his arm.

"What's it like having claws?" Peach asked curiously, choosing to ignore the surprise on his face. She reached up, grabbed his left hand and pulled it off the back of the sofa so that she could examine it closer.

"I-I never really thought about it," Bowser stuttered as his arm rested around her.

"Have you ever poked yourself in the eye?" she continued.

"Once or twice when I was younger," Bowser chuckled.

"Do you cut them like human nails?" Peach started to trace her finger along the palm of his hand. His anxiety wained as she drew her fingertips along his hand. Something about her touch was relaxing.

"Depends on what species I plan to gore that week, but usually I file them," he smiled, a hint of pride coming back to his voice.

"Do you plan on goring any humans this week?" Peach quipped, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"There is one on my list this week. The description says she is a hot, blonde, blue-eyed babe wearing a pink dress and a crown," Bowser eyed her impishly.

"Alas, it can't be me for I am not wearing a pink dress," she answered with mock disappointment, holding his gaze.

"You fit the rest of the description to a 'T', though," he said in a deep voice and Peach blushed. He coughed to himself to clear his throat. That was far too flirtatious. Wayyy too much. What was he trying to do? Scare her off?

*cough* "It is really nice to see you, Peach," Bowser said politely.

"It is nice to see you too, Bowser," Peach answered, looking up at him with a smile. Bowser's lungs heating up twenty degrees.

"How are you feeling? Have you recovered well?" Bowser asked with some worry.

"Oh yes! I am fully recovered! It took a long time and my therapist had me do a lot of exercises. I should be ready for just about anything now," she said, smiling confidently.

"Well, the Koopalings will be glad to hear that. They weren't allowed to see you before. I didn't want them roughhousing or accidentally fracturing another one of your ribs. We aren't exactly the most gentle family out there," Bowser chuckled and sat back into his chair, relaxing the tension in his shoulders.

"About that, before we go to your castle can we make a stop somewhere first?" Peach asked hopefully.

"Anywhere," Bowser answered with a grin.

"I have a summer home in the Chai Kingdom within Sarasaland. It used to be my mother's favorite place to go. I wouldn't have asked initially, but summer only just ended and I may not get another chance to go until next year," Peach explained.

"Did you hear that, old fart?" Bowser shouted towards the front of the ship where the cockpit was.

"Yeah, yeah… Loud and clear, Asswipe," Willard grumbled back through the intercom.

"Thank you, Willard!" Peach exclaimed.

"Anything for you, darlin'!" Willard answered in a much kinder voice. Bowser folded his arms and grunted.

" _Anything for you, darrrrlin',_ " Bowser mocked quietly. "…Stupid old man always jabbering…"

"Oh stop it, Bowser. Willard is just particular about who he likes. He is really sweet when you get to know him better," Peach chided him.

" _Sweet_ … He sure doesn't respect the ruler of his own kingdom! Wrinkled old traitor," Bowser grumbled. Peach only giggled and looked out the window with a smile.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They reached the summer home in the evening just an hour before the sun began to sink into the horizon. The building was a massive log mansion three stories tall with a green tin roof. There was a sparkling lake just behind the house and the only other signs of civilization could be seen on the other side of the lake, which was about a mile away.

"Peach, it's beautiful.  _Almost_  better than the one I have in the Dark Lands," Bowser said with a grin.

"I would hope so! This place is worth millions. My parents bought this whole side of the lake so we would never be bothered unless it was urgent. We would leave behind all of our servants for an entire week just so the three of us could spend time together," Peach said, feeling a bittersweet sense of nostalgia come over her as she walked down the ramp of the airship and made her way towards the mansion.

"Sounds like a special place," Bowser said, watching the wonder on her face.  _"So this is what she was telling me about. A summer home where she can spend time with her future family,"_  he mused silently.

Peach walked up to the front door, took out a silver key and unlocked the door. The living room was the first thing that caught their eyes. The ceilings went up all three floors and the back wall looked like it was purely made out of windows allowing the sun to illuminate every inch of the massive room. On the left there was a beautiful kitchen on the first floor, the second floor had an entertainment area, and the third floor was one enormous master bedroom. To the right, the first floor was a swimming pool area with a hot tub in the back while the second and third floors were extra bedrooms and bathrooms, each bigger than the last.

"How many bedrooms are in this place?" Bowser asked as Peach gave him a tour of the entire house.

"I am pretty sure there are twenty-four," Peach said thoughtfully.

"My summer home is bigger, but there are only nine bedrooms and the rest is all filled with luxury, games, and thrill rides. You could probably call it an amusement park," Bowser stated.

"So it is a smaller version of your castle," Peach commented.

"Well… yeah! No better place in the world than Bower's Castle!" Bowser exclaimed with pride. Peach smiled and opened the back door in the living room. She took a deep breath of fresh air as she walked out onto a large veranda. There was a roof that was meant to shelter them from the weather, but Peach reached up and pulled a lever by the door. The roof above their heads flattened to the side of the house to allow a full view of the sky. The sun was just starting to hide behind the mountains in the distance, making the landscape burn gold as a few stray clouds were stained almost every color of the rainbow.

Bowser had to admit that the sight was magnificent, but the look on Peach's face put everything else to shame. There was no sign of discontentment on her face. She was just purely happy to be there in that moment. The picture he was taking in his mind couldn't get any better until she looked up at him.

"We should go check on Willard. I got so excited about the house that I forgot all about the ship," Peach laughed lightly.

"Fine. We'll check on him," Bowser grunted. Of course, the old man would ruin the picture. As Bowser sulked, Peach grabbed his claw with both hands and pulled him back to the front of the house. Once they got to the front of the building, Bowser opened the front door and Peach dropped his claw with a gasp.

"The ship is gone," she said with a shocked look on her face. As she stepped out farther, a white paper caught her eye. It was stuck to the floorboards next to the stairs. Opening it up she read:

_Alrighty, youngsters!_

_I'm gonna fill this bird up with gas and hit the Chai Casinos! Don't get too rowdy while I'm gone._

_Willard_

"He left," Bowser stated. "He really just left us here and didn't even tell us when he would be back."

"Yep," Peach agreed.

Both were painfully aware of how alone they were now. The nearest people were miles across the lake and their transportation may not be back for 24 hours or more.

"Sorry, Peach. I should have made him come with us. It just never crossed my mind that he would just leave," Bowser apologized earnestly.

"No. It is my fault. I should have at least invited him in with us instead of running off like that," Peach said with regret. Both of them stood on the front porch silently for a moment until Peach folded up the paper and turned to Bowser. "Do you want to see my favorite thing about this place?"

"Sure," Bowser answered with a smile. Instead of going back inside, Peach walked down the porch steps and walked around the front of the house. Once she got to the back corner of the house there was a ladder covered in ivy that reached all the way to the roof.

"Peach, are you sure it's safe?" Bowser asked warily as he watched her take hold of the ladder and climb. He wanted to go with her but the sky was getting darker and he was much heavier than she was.

"Don't worry, Bowser. It can definitely hold you," Peach answered with a smile. She secretly crossed her toes in her shoes.

"Okay…" Bowser said uncertainly as he began to climb up behind her. Sparks escaped from his mouth when he looked up. It was the perfect view even though she was wearing jeans instead of a skirt. As if reading his mind, Peach looked down at him and frowned.

"Bowser, keep your eyes to yourself or I'll kick you off the ladder," Peach stated with a serious look on her face. He immediately looked at the ladder in front of him and focused on his claws.

In a few minutes, they had both safely made it to the roof, which was slanted but flat enough for them to stand on without fear of falling. The only light they had was the moon and the stars, both of which were surprisingly bright that night. Peach walked to the middle of the roof where a metal chimney stuck out and sat down putting her back against it. She patted the spot beside her to invite Bowser to sit.

"What a view! Did you and your family come up here every night?" Bowser asked, sitting his back against the chimney, looking at the sky that was littered with stars.

"No. I used to come here when my parents were asleep," Peach said with a small guilty smile.

"Wait. You snuck out? Princess Peach, the angel the stars sculpted by hand, snuck out?" Bowser laughed deeply. "Interesting."

"What is interesting about that? I never did anything bad if that is what you are implying," Peach stated incredulously.

"That is what they all say, Princess," Bowser teased. "A secret spot on the roof where you spent your alonnnne time… Sounds kinky."

"I'm not as depraved as you, Bowser," Peach said with an exasperated sigh as she looked up at the sky.

"Or maybe you're worse and you just choose to hide it," Bowser smirked and turned his head to look at her. Peach gave him a glare and then went back to picking out the stars, sitting in silence while enjoying an uninterrupted moment.


	41. Hypnotizing

Bowser closed his eyes and laid his head back against the chimney. A mild breeze ambled through the air and rustled his thoughts. How long had it been since he had felt so at ease? He gave a sigh and continued to relax for a good fifteen minutes before he felt a warm, soft hand wipe the corner of his mouth.

Had he left food there this whole time? That would be soooo uncool.

Regardless of his stirring thoughts, Bowser kept his eyes shut and acted like he hadn't noticed Peach's hand there. However, he was surprised when her hand lingered and gently rubbed his cheek. He heard a quiet shuffling noise as she moved closer and moved her hand up to his hair, playing with it cautiously. Bowser accidentally let out a low hum that startled both of them. He silently cursed himself when her hand stopped and became motionless. To his relief, Peach giggled and resumed playing with his hair.

Bowser had just begun falling asleep when he felt Peach's hand stop and pull out of his hair. He was almost disappointed enough to protest when he felt something glide against his lips.

...That wasn't her hand.

The touch was softer than a whisper but made a tingle go down his spine. It was hypnotizing how it moved back and forth across his mouth. Bowser found himself slightly lifting his head so he could press into the soft skin that graced his lips.

"Peach, what are you doing?" Bowser asked, trying not to move his lips as he whispered.

"Shhh... Don't open your eyes, Bowser," Peach responded softly. His heart jumped and the drowsy stupor she had lulled him into dissipated immediately when he felt her breath on his face as she spoke. He could feel her lay her hands on his chest for support as she moved closer, gliding her lips across his mouth one way and then back again, adding pressure as she went. Bowser didn't know how long he sat completely motionless as her lips glided shyly against his. He was in heaven and he didn't dare do anything but give her as much time as she wanted.

Finally, she stopped, choosing a spot on his bottom lip to press into.

"Peach, did you just… kiss me?" Bowser asked in quiet awe. She hummed in response as she moved her hands to his face and pressed her lips into his harder. A low rumble exuded from his chest as he lightly pushed back. Peach hesitated and pulled back slightly, but Bowser was at his breaking point. She wasn't going to get away just yet.

Bowser sat up a little and wrapped his arms around Peach's waist, pulling her closer to his face. Carefully, he kissed her face and moved his lips against hers. He could feel her shiver in his grasp every time he got bold enough to press harder. As they kissed, she started to loosen up and move her hands across his face. Their kiss was sweet and gentle, but Peach began to kiss him with a hint of aggression and her hands started to make their way into his hair. Bowser groaned and his claws gripped her tighter.

"Peach…" he growled as he nibbled her lips. Her whole body quivered in response as his lips moved, softly prying hers open. Her stomach flipped violently as he softly introduced his tongue into her mouth. Something in Peach snapped and she finally stopped holding back, putting everything she could into kissing Bowser. He was stunned as she gripped his horns and earnestly pulled him deeper into her mouth. She left no room for him to doubt that she craved this. Hell, she threw propriety to the wind the way she kissed him, but...

"What do you want from me, Peach?" Bowser panted, reluctantly pulling out of their kiss.

"What?" Peach gasped heavily, trying to pull him back in greedily.

"What can I do to make this last?" he rephrased his question with a hint of desperation, nuzzling her neck and watching her out of the corner of his eye. "So that I can keep this…" he whispered.

"I don't understand," she said, looking back at him a little confused. "Bowser, I'm here now."

"Yes, but Peach… Don't leave me again. Not after this. My heart can't take it," he said gruffly.

"Bowser…" Peach whispered, softly rubbing her thumb across his cheek. "I already told you I am not leaving, silly Koopa." Shaking her head with a small smile, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek while meeting his gaze.

"... It took me months to recover the memories I have. Most of them make sense, but there is one… One thing I'm not sure is a memory. The night we died you said…?" Bowser asked, searching her face.

"Every word was real when I told you that I lied. I only said those terribly hurtful things in order to make sure the Contract wouldn't be broken. I just didn't want Kamella to hurt you," she answered softly, reaching up to cup his face. "You're enough, Bowser."

He looked at her in stunned silence and then pounded a balled fist on his knee.

"...Damnit," Bowser growled. "Damn damn damn damn DAMN!" He grabbed his hair and covered his eyes with his claws.

Peach flinched and opened her mouth to speak but he burst out, "So I could have been chewing the lips of a goddess for all of these months instead of locking myself away and attempting to become a nat? The stunningly beautiful, most attractive woman in the world told me... and I..."

Bowser looked like he was about to yank his claws and rip out his own hair, but he let out a defeated groan, untangled his fingers from his red mane and allowed his arms fell to his sides limply.

"...Wow, Willard was right, I am an ass. I was so sure that it was a dream… It never crossed my mind that something so impossible could be real," Bowser said quietly.

"So you didn't avoid me because you hated me for what I did? All of the awful things I said?" Peach asked timidly.

" _Hate_  you? HATE? Peach, I  _worship_  the very thought of you! I would give everything I own just to go back and change the way I acted," Bowser stated, ashamed of himself for pushing her away. He took a deep shaky breath and before she knew what he was doing, he picked her up gently and set her down sideways on his lap. He snuggled her as she sat in his grasp. Peach giggled as Bowser's snout rubbed against her jawline and made her skin tingle under his rough touch.

"Stop!" Peach exclaimed laughingly. Her hands shot up suddenly and pushed his face away.

"What are you laughing about?" Bowser asked with a smile tugging on the corner of his lips as he grabbed her hands and parted them so he could look at her.

"It tickles!" Peach stated, trying to pull her hands out of his grasp.

"Interesting… I didn't know princesses were ticklish," he mumbled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Peach tried to push his nose away, but he pulled her in tighter.

"No! Stop!" she tried to demand in a serious voice, but she couldn't stop giggling. He nuzzled her lightly and watched with a grin as she squirmed. Peach tried to push him away and accidentally jabbed Bowser under his arm causing him to jump with a small yelp. Noticing his reaction, Peach jabbed him lightly in the same spot. Bowser flinched and tried to hide it as a sneeze, but it was too late.

Peach sat up and gave him an evil grin. Bowser gripped her arms and tried to pull her off of his lap, but she was quicker than him and laughed as he began to make loud strangled noises every time she stuck her hands under his arms.

"I guess Koopa Kings are ticklish too. Who knew?" Peach laughed.

"I am NOT ticklish," Bowser choked stubbornly.

"I beg to differ," she said as she continued to poke him and search for his most ticklish spots.

He tried to sit farther back and hold her at arm's length, but it didn't work. She just kept coming after him and getting him in just the right places. Every time he pushed her back, she would crawl forward. But as she knelt on his lap, her knee slipped causing her to fall forward with both of her legs on either side of Bowser. When her knee thrust into Bowser's thigh he jolted backward with a loud laugh. At first, she felt she had won a great victory but her spine filled with electricity when she saw his face.

"Oh, Princess… You are in so much trouble now," Bowser growled darkly. His eyes burned hot with revenge. Peach yelped in surprise as he pulled her higher up his lap and tighter around his waist, quickly wrapping her up in his arms so she couldn't move. Peach had no chance of winning as he began assaulting her from all sides until she was shedding tears of laughter.

"I won't stop until you learn your lesson," Bowser snarled into her skin. Peach fought against his grip with all her strength, but there was nothing she could do and her lungs were starting to burn.

"Alright! I'm sorry!" she yelled through her laughter. "I concede!" Bowser hummed and stopping his attack.

"I'm sorry!" she said again as he ended his onslaught.

"Do I win?" Bowser whispered in her ear. Peach stubbornly turned her head and didn't answer as her breathing slowed. He chuckled and brought his nose back to her neck.

"No! Fine, you win! I won't do it again," she stated, panicking as his skin lightly grazed hers.

Bowser groaned a little in disappointment. "You can do it when you want…" bringing his head back up from her neck, looking at her with imploring eyes. His face was so close to hers and her cheeks colored as he looked at her.

"I guess… if you promise to let me win every now and then," she said as she turned her face away shyly.

"As long as it stays… between us," he said, voice wavering slightly as he felt her legs around him making his pulse race.

"…okay," Peach whispered. She brought her hands to his chest as his grip loosened enough for her to move. Her hands began to burn hot. For a moment, she glanced at his face and found him staring at her with a deep hunger in his eyes. She couldn't look away as his gaze gripped hers, making her stomach tumble and turn. He didn't move at all, but she found herself leaning towards him. The choice was hers and she wanted to take it… but she hesitated.

Feeling her waver, Bowser took a deep breath, picked her up to move her legs, and pulled her into a tight embrace, sitting back straighter against the chimney. Something in Peach's body cried in protest as he broke eye contact, but a part of her heart smiled.

"I'm sorry, Bowser," Peach said quietly as she sat sideways on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck

"For what?" Bowser asked, a little surprised.

"For… for making things harder. I just don't want to go too far too fast… I've never really..." she trailed off.

"Peach, hard is an understatement," Bowser chuckled and Peach hid her face in his shoulder to conceal a blush. "I want everything you have and, since the first moment I met you, I could have taken it. But I will never take more than you are willing to give." Peach pulled away from him to look at his face. He looked down at her with eyes filled with emotion. "I…" he began, but stopped and winced. "I care about you."

"I know, Bowser," Peach answered with a smile and gave him a peck on the cheek. She wiggled around a little to lay on her side, gave a content sigh, and closed her eyes. Once she was comfortable, Bowser supported her back with his arm and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I care about you too, Bowser," Peach whispered.

Bowser tightened his arm around her and grinned like a fool as she hid her face in his neck.

 _"Peach, what are you doing to me? Don't you know you're giving me hope?"_  he thought. She had to know. Peach wouldn't lie about something like this. There was nothing she could really gain from lying, but every kiss, every word was opening each door she had personally shut years ago. Saying and doing these things was like a rehabilitator setting a lifetime's worth of liquor in front of an alcoholic, saying, "Drink all you want! It's good for you!"

From the beginning, Bowser never really believed he would gain her affection. He only stole her from her castle out of his own selfish need to lessen his own loneliness and keep himself in her thoughts. But now she said she felt something for him. What else could he do but hope and hold onto her tighter? If she ever pulled away again he would never be able to rebuild himself. He was lost in her and nothing else would be enough for him now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Once Peach began to fall asleep, the Koopa King took her to the master bedroom and grudgingly left to pick a different room for himself. With a clumsy leap, he landed on his bed and ran a claw through his hair. Her whisper still penetrated his mind.

_"I care about you too, Bowser."_

He laid quietly in a stupor the rest of the night.


	42. The King

The next morning, Bowser woke up far too early and rushed out of his guest room. He scurried through the living room and climbed the stairs to get to the third-floor master bedroom where Peach had slept that night.

"Please, be there. Please, be there. Please, be there," Bowser whispered repeatedly, panic building in his chest until he opened the door to her room. To his relief, he saw a little lump in the covers on a massive navy blue bed.

His princess was still there.

Walking up to the side of Peach's bed, Bowser knelt down and laid his head on the mattress with a sigh of relief. She was breathing evenly and wore a peaceful expression as she slept. He watched her for a long moment until he closed his eyes and felt himself drift to sleep.

An hour later, Peach felt her bed vibrate and heard a deep rumble coming from the side of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked out from under her blankets to find Bowser sleeping on his knees with his head perched on her bed.

 _"How long has he been there?"_  Peach wondered to herself. Several months ago, she would have been angry with him for sneaking into her bedroom, but now she only shook her head and giggled.  _"You silly Koopa."_

The princess watched him thoughtfully and then carefully crawled towards him, trying not to wake him. When she got close enough, she leaned forward and gave him a light peck on the lips.

"Mmmph…" he mumbled, a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth sleepily.

Peach smiled at his reaction. She waited another moment to let him fall back to sleep and lightly kissed him again before leaning back to watch his reaction. This time he took a deep breath and growled with the smile growing wider on his face. Peach put her hand over her mouth and nose, stifling her giggles so he would stay asleep. A mischievous grin widened under her hand as she waited for Bowser to relax again. After a good ten minutes, she leaned forward as quietly as possible and quickly pecked his lips.

As soon her lips touched his, he opened his eyes and grabbed her, dragging her closer to the edge of the bed so her face was directly in front of his. Peach giggled as he littered her face with kisses and growled playfully.

"Did you really think you could get away without repercussions?" Bowser asked with an evil grin on his face.

"Maybe?" she answered with an innocent smile.

"Well, pecking is illegal," he hissed, leaning in to kiss her earnestly. Peach's head began to spin and warmth flooded her body. The kiss kept getting deeper the longer it lasted and she began to draw him farther onto the bed. Bowser couldn't believe it. The woman who had hated him for years was pulling him into her bed.

He tested his weight on the bed as Peach pulled him farther. It creaked a little but it didn't seem to have any problem holding his weight. The moment he was completely on the bed, Bowser pressed a button on his shell and the spikes on his back retracted, smoothing over completely. Carefully, he picked her up and sat her on his lap as he leaned against the headboard of the bed. He allowed Peach to do as she pleased. She crushed her lips against his and he groaned as her hands roughly pulled his hair. His head spun and spun as she sucked on his tongue and made his lungs burn hot. If his heart had broken before, then it was as good as new now. All of the pain he had experienced was washed away as the woman of his dreams drowned him with her kiss.

"I love you."

Peach paused in surprise and pulled away to look at Bowser. Her breath was ragged but her eyes were suddenly more alert. He met her eyes anxiously and continued, "I know I am not the smartest, most patient or even good looking man out there but I would do anything in my power to make you happy. I won't ever hurt you or force you to do anything you don't want to. If you tell me you want me around then I will follow you like a baby chain chomp to the day I die. If you tell me you never want to see me again… I'll make sure never to show my face in public again so that you don't even see me in a newspaper. I'll even put a bag over my face and lock myself in my bedroom for the rest of my life."

"Bowser…" Peach said, bringing her hand up to wipe away the tension that was showing on his face.

"Peach, my goal is to marry you," Bowser stated fervently, taking her hands and staring into her eyes. "Not that I am proposing right now… But I want you by my side for the rest of my life. Please...  _Please,_  give me a chance. Give me the chance to make you happy. That's all I ask."

The princess smiled softly and took her hands from his claws. A flash of sadness crossed Bowser's face until she used her hands to pull his face forward into a long, deep kiss.

"Okay," Peach said simply with a smile.

"Okay? You mean… y-you're fine with that?" Bowser stammered.

"Yes, Bowser. I am okay with that," she stated again with a giggle as his facial expression transformed from nervous and worried to hopeful and overjoyed. His grin looked like it could break his face as he grabbed her waist and pulled her into a strong embrace.

*Chuf-a-chuf-a-chuf-a-chuf*

The whirling blades of Bowser's airship filled the peaceful quiet of their room. Peach jumped out of his arms and walked quickly to look out her bedroom window. In the distance, she could see Bowser's airship speeding towards the house. Bowser stayed in the bed and huffed.

"Right on time, huh old geezer?" he grumbled to himself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

**Several Months Later**

"Sit still, your Highness and stop moving your head so much!" Kammy yelled as she got out her scissors. Bowser was securely tied to a barber chair humming and nodding to a nonexistent beat like a madman.

"You know? This reminds me of a song," Bowser said with a grin, giving Kammy a maniacal smile.

"Don't you dare," Kammy scowled as she combed his hair and sprayed it with water.

"Well your faith was strong but you needed proof,

You caught me bathing on the roof.

My beauty and the moonlight overthrew yaaaaaa.

A HAG tied me to her barber chair,

She flipped me off and she cut my hair,

And from my lips, I scream a Hallelujah!"

"Stop it, Bowser!" Kammy yelled over him.

"Haaaallelujaaaaah!" Bowser sang louder. Kammy used her wand to tie him down with extra rope as he began to headbang and shake the chair.

"Haaallelujaaaaaaaaaaah!" He wasn't even singing now. Kammy screamed at him to stay quiet.

"HALLELUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUJAAAH!" Bowser screamed at the top of his lungs then laughed heartily as he kicked his feet happily like a child. Kammy waved her wand as he laughed and a muzzle appeared around Bowser's mouth, clamping tightly shut.

"That is it! You WILL sit down and you WILL be silent!" Kammy shrieked as Bowser shook his head, trying to get the muzzle loose. "I knew I should have made Kamek do this, but he never styles your hair to look like a gentleman. Honestly… Peach is going to go grey haired overnight."

As much as Kammy wanted to hide it, she was happy for her King. Today was going to be the happiest day of his life and - though he made himself look like an utter twit - he had every right to be excited. How could she expect him to sit still? After all, he had a wedding today.

(And it's a small one so…. you're not invited! Gwa ha ha!)


	43. Chapter 43

After the wedding, Bowser took Peach to his summer home in the Dark Lands. Much like hers, it was secluded but it was bigger and filled with more entertainment than anything else. The master bedroom was huge and the eight guest rooms were also large but there was no official living room. There was a theater room, bowling, arcade area, poolroom with huge water slides and a legitimate roller coaster that connected each room. There was also a Trick-or-Treat/Trip-and-Die room that Bowser sealed shut with nails in case Peach got too curious. Only Koopas with extra protection could go in there.

"I'm a little disappointed," Peach teased Bowser. "I was hoping you had built this place on a live volcano."

"I AM the live volcano," Bowser stated, taking a pose and snorting smoke proudly.

"Yes, I suppose so," Peach laughed. Holding her wedding dress up, she walked up the stairs and opened the door to the master bedroom. Bowser was right behind her, clicking his claws nervously as she walked in.

"Do you like it?" Bowser asked, with an anxious look on his face.

"I love it," she said with a smile, taking his claw in her hand and pulling him towards the bed. Bowser grunted as Peach stood on her tiptoes to kiss him greedily. He knew what she wanted and he would gladly give it but…

"Peach, can I go to the restroom? I gotta…" he trailed off sheepishly.

"Of course!" Peach said with a giggle. "You don't have to ask my permission to go to the restroom, Bowser."

"Okay, I just didn't want you to feel like I'm bailing," Bowser chuckled as he kissed her. Peach sat on the bed as he entered the bathroom and shut the door. It had been a long day and Peach knew that Bowser had worked hard to make their wedding perfect. He had called all the best wedding planners and attended every detail to make it all go as smoothly as possible. Even the white suit and top hat had been made to his design. All of Peach's closest friends and family were invited, even Mario and Luigi, though no one else. Bowser had kept the invitation list small knowing that Peach didn't want a massive party.

Peach got lost in her thoughts for a while but soon began to worry about Bowser. He still hadn't come out of the restroom and she didn't hear him doing much of anything.

"Bowser?" she called with concern.

"Hey… uh, just a sec. I'll be out soon!" he answered. Her worry grew when she heard a hint of panic in his voice. He had never been good at hiding his feelings and he was even worse at lying.

"Alright, just checking. No need to rush," Peach said, getting up from the bed to look around the room. Once again, she was impressed by Bowser's foresight when she opened her closet. It was massive and filled with all sorts of clothes and dresses. Anything she could want was there and she smiled as she found a replica of the pink dress she wore the first time he kidnapped her. She wouldn't have been surprised if it was the actual dress. Bowser had always kept some of the little things she would throw away or leave behind when she returned to the Mushroom Kingdom.

She spent a half hour looking through her wardrobe before she found herself standing in front of the bathroom door again.

"Bowser, are you okay?" Peach asked as she put her ear to the door. There was no answer but she could hear a small shuffling noise on the other side of the door. "Can you open the door, please?"

This time there was no sound in response.

"Boosy… I know you're still in there," Peach said with a soothing voice.

Still no answered.

Peach was surprised. Bowser always came to her when she called. All sorts of alarming ideas and thoughts began filling her mind. Her imagination ran wild when she remembered the old lady Toad she had met the day before her wedding. The old woman had told her all sorts of horror stories about grooms or brides dying on their wedding night. Even worse, Bowser had already died once.

"Please, Bowser. Are you okay?" Peach asked, fear gripping her heart.

No answer.

Peach walked away from the door, crossing her arms over her aching chest. Her mind raced through all sorts of terrible scenarios until she remembered something.

"The key," she whispered. She had always kept it with her pink phone but she had left them in a bag to be brought to Bowser's summer home. The servants could have put them anywhere. Peach walked around the room, searching through anything and everything. She opened every drawer and patted down every one of the dresses until she came across a square velvet box in the far corner of her closet. It was the original box that Bowser used to give the key to her. Quickly, she opened the box and took the key into her hand with a sigh of relief.

"Bowser, I'm coming in," she stated as she walked to the door and inserted the key.

*Click*

The door opened and Peach walked in slowly, surveying the bathroom anxiously. Bowser was standing in front of the mirror with his claws covering his head as he leaned against the sink. Peach put her hand out and touched her husband's shoulder hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, Peach," he whispered, moving his claw slightly to look at her. "I can't… I'm just not…"

"It's okay, Bowser. Whatever is going on, let me help you," Peach said kindly, rubbing his shoulder.

"No, Peach. You shouldn't have even married me at all. I should never have forced you into this," he growled through his teeth.

"You didn't force me into anything. You asked and I said yes because I chose you, Boosy," Peach answered earnestly.

"You shouldn't have," Bowser ran his claws over his head with frustration.

"Why not?" Peach asked indignantly. "You are everything I want. You're unbelievably smart, you love me more than anything in the world, and you make me laugh on a whim. You're also a wonderful father and ruler."

"But I am ugly," Bowser snarled and looked at her with grief in his eyes.

"What? No! When have I ever…?" Peach began.

"Peach, look at me. Look at my face. You saw the rest of me when we were in that hotel back in Sarasaland. You know I'm right," Bowser argued, distraught as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Bowser… That was the first time I realized you were…" Peach began shyly.

"What? That I was what?... Say it," Bowser pushed off the counter and turned to her with balled fists, ready to receive her criticism.

"Hot," Peach said quietly. Bowser stood motionless with disbelief evident on his face.

"Peach, I'm not…" Bowser began.

"You are hot, Bowser. You have… really great abs and your build is… attractive," Peach stated bashfully.

"…Really?" Bowser asked, letting his hands relax.

"I was really looking forward to having… to being with you tonight," Peach said, standing nervously with a blush creeping from her neck to her cheeks. Bowser shook his head slightly as his former wife's voice whispered in his head.

_"You're the ugliest of all Koopas to be sure. You have no sex appeal at all for women and men alike but there are still other species out there that you might be better than," Clawdia chuckled meanly._

Bowser stepped back from Peach and shut his eyes sadly. He could practically feel the disgust in Clawdia's eyes as she looked at him. All of those years he had been alone because his former wife thought he was ugly. No matter what, he couldn't satisfy her. What would he do if Peach became disgusted when he made love to her?

A soft hand touched his cheek and brought him out of his thoughts.

The Koopa shuttered but opened his eyes and looked at his wife. Peach slowly stepped closer and put her free hand on his purple bowtie. Bowser stood completely still as she pulled and loosened it from his neck. She then took her other hand off of his cheek and unlatched the silver spiked arm bracelets, setting them on the floor with a huff. Bowser tried to help with the last one but Peach refused with a kiss. It was her turn to do something for him.

Once the bracelets were off, she pulled Bowser out of the restroom and to the bed where she had him sit down. Her next project was taking off his effing heavy steel shoes. She pulled them off and grunted as she dragged them away from the bed.

"You want me to help you with that?" Bowser asked with a small smile.

"Yerrraaaahhhhh…(thud)… Nope! I can do it," Peach said with an assuring smile as she came back and started taking off the other shoe. Bowser sighed as she slowly dragged the second one away just like the first but he didn't ask to help her again.

"Okay!" she giggled as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "Next is the shell…" she mused out loud as she crawled onto the bed next to him and looked for the button to unhook his shell.

"Here, allow me," Bowser said, pressed a button under his arm and pulled off the front and back of his fancy shell as if it was the lightest thing in the world. He laid it on the floor and pushed it with his foot, causing it to slide neatly into the corner of the room.

"Thanks," Peach said. There was no way she could have gotten it off by herself. Bowser watched her warily as she climbed off the bed and stood in front of him. With a sheepish smile, she took hold of his lavender colored dress shirt that had been hidden under his shell and started to unbutton it.

Bowser grabbed her hand.

"Peach, are you sure?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yes. I am," Peach answered resolutely and pulled her hand from his claw. Without another word, she began tugging on his shirt and he winced with each button she unfastened. He closed his eyes and looked away with a defeated expression as she pulled his shirt wide open.

"Bowser…" she whispered in awe as she gently put her hand on his chest and pulled her fingers across his skin.

"I'm sorry, Peach. I know I am not what you…" Bowser began but his words died away as he felt Peach lean in and kiss his chest, sending chills through his body. He wanted to retort but she kissed him again and again, trailing kisses all over his skin. Soon, she started kissing up his neck and dragging her hands along his shoulders.

"Bowser Koopa, King of the Dark Lands, I love you." Peach whispered as she kissed his face gently. "Let me show you."

Bowser opened his eyes and began to kiss her back cautiously but she wanted more. She crushed into him with everything she had and refused to let him push away. His skin grew hotter the longer she pushed him and a fire began to burn inside him. The craving for love and physical touch was tearing him apart and the queen in his arms was begging him to hold her tighter.

Peach loved him.

 _"No one will ever love you more than me,"_ Clawdia sneered in his mind. Bowser clenched his teeth and snarled.

 _"Kiss my spiky ass, Clawdia,"_  Bowser answered and something inside him snapped into place. The woman lying next to him was all that mattered.

Peach yelped in surprise as Bowser took a hold of her and surrounded her with all of his love. Her skin was his solace and her lips were his redemption. He poured his soul into every movement and did everything he could to please her. When he had done all he could, she didn't leave.

He had succeeded and he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years to each of you and congratulations for reading this far! I am shocked and humbled by the amount of feedback I have received. You are far too kind.
> 
> Thank you :3


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